Environmental Conservation Police on Patrol

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State's Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State. In 2024, the Division of Law Enforcement fielded more than 105,717 calls, resulting in Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responding to more than 30,109 complaints and working on cases that resulted in 15,755 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the illegal pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.

"DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators protect New York's air, water, wildlife, and public safety, while also working to connect New Yorkers with the outdoors," Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. "As we tackle environmental threats on all fronts, I applaud the critical work DEC's ECOs and Investigators are undertaking to enforce New York's Environmental Conservation Law and ensure a cleaner, greener, safer, and more resilient New York State."

Too Many Turkeys - Cayuga and Onondaga Counties

In late May, ECO Prentice received an anonymous tip about a turkey hunter in Cayuga and Onondaga counties taking more than the spring turkey bag limit of two birds. Officer Prentice followed up on the report, responded to the location of the subject's last known hunt in the town of Owasco, and observed the hunter on a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) at the described location. ECO Prentice conducted a compliance check and determined one of the hunter's two shotguns on the UTV was still loaded and two turkey tags he possessed were not filled out as required. The hunter admitted after an extended interview to taking two birds in late May: one in the town of Owasco, Cayuga County; and another in the town of Otisco, Onondaga County. He did not admit to taking more than the legal limit. ECO Prentice issued the subject one ticket for the loaded firearm on a motor vehicle, two tickets for not tagging turkeys, and one ticket for hunting turkeys after reaching the season limit.

Knowing that most turkeys are taken in the first 10 days of the spring season instead of the latter part of the month as the hunter stated, ECO Prentice and Lieutenant Colesante continued the investigation. The Officers eventually obtained information that the same hunter took a turkey in the first week of the season in Cayuga County. The subject admitted to taking more than the legal limit of turkeys when confronted with the evidence against him and received an additional ticket for taking over the limit of spring turkeys.

Smoke Chokepoints - Bronx County

During the month of June, ECOs participated in a detail at chokepoints in Bronx County led by New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Police and the New York City Police Department. While the local agencies continued their campaign against counterfeit license plates in New York City, ECOs focused on addressing environmental violations committed by commercial vehicles traveling through these bottleneck areas. ECOs issued dozens of tickets for air quality emissions violations, unlicensed operations, and expired safety and emissions inspections.

Old Crane, Giant Pain - Kings County

On June 3, ECOs Baldwin and Bieber responded to a complaint regarding a crane leaking hydraulic fluid while being transported on a public highway in Brooklyn. A New York City sanitation worker who witnessed the incident reported the crane had run out of fluid halfway through transport and the owner brought more fluid to keep the crane running until it reached its destination at a marina in the county. The ECOs issued the crane owner a ticket for depositing a noisome or unwholesome substance on a public highway, returnable to Kings County Criminal Court. DEC Spill Response experts also responded to the incident and issued the crane owner an Order on Consent requiring that they cover the cost associated with cleaning up the spill.