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,” Acting 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 Early – Bronx County
On April 1, ECOs Barbera and Kortz patrolled Pelham Bay in the Bronx ahead of the April 15 striped bass season opener. The Officers issued three tickets to anglers for taking out-of-season striped bass, all returnable to Bronx Criminal Court.
ECO Barbera with striped bass caught unlawfully in Bronx County
Belmont Lake Fishing Festival – Babylon, Suffolk County
On April 5, ECOs Berketis, Dickson, and Ruffle assisted DEC Fisheries and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) at the annual Spring Family Fishing Festival at Belmont Lake State Park. Prior to the festival, DEC stocked Belmont Lake with nearly 1,000 brown and rainbow trout, giving the hundreds of festival attendees great opportunities to catch fish despite the mostly rainy conditions that day. ECOs patrolled the lake, assisted anglers, and answered questions about an ECO’s job duties and New York State fishing regulations. The festival also included vendors, food trucks, fly fishing demonstrations, and plenty of giveaways. Fishing poles and bait were provided by DEC’s I FISH NY program.
Trout fishing season is open year-round at Belmont Lake State Park. The daily limit is five fish, with no more than two fish longer than 12 inches.
ECO Berketis looks on while young anglers assist with fish stocking at the annual Spring Family Fishing Festival at Belmont Lake State Park in Suffolk County
ECO Dickson helps a new angler with her rod at the annual Spring Family Fishing Festival at Belmont Lake State Park in Suffolk County
ECO Outreach – SUNY Farmingdale, Suffolk County / Finger Lakes Community College Ontario County
On April 8, ECOs DeRose and Francis fielded questions from students in an Environmental Law class at Farmingdale State College (SUNY Farmingdale) focused on New York State Environmental Conservation Law and the importance of enforcement to ensure the protection of our natural resources and public health. Students prepared 25 questions for the Officers.
On April 9, ECOs Dobies and Noyes attended a career fair at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua and educated students about the requirements to become an ECO, as well as Officers’ work statewide to hold polluters, poachers, and other environmental lawbreakers accountable.
ECOs Noyes (left) and Dobies (right) attend career fair at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, Ontario County
Dirty Deeds – Westchester County
On April 10, ECOs Franz and Schuck partnered with Investigators from the Westchester County Waste Commission to locate an alleged unauthorized solid waste management facility in the town of Lewisboro. The Officers arrived at the location and observed a dump truck being loaded with illegal fill material consisting of soil, asphalt, cement, plastic, lumber, and glass. The ECOs also observed large piles of illegal fill on the property amounting to approximately 30,000 cubic yards and heavy machinery, including a commercial soil screener and two large excavators. The ECOs interviewed the property owner and learned the subject was transporting construction and demolition debris from construction sites in Connecticut to the Lewisboro location, processing the illegal fill material with the soil screener, and selling it as “clean topsoil from a farm.” The Officers issued tickets to the trucking company for waste transporter violations and to the property owner for unlawful disposal of solid waste and operating an unauthorized solid waste management facility. ECOs also provided the subject with pertinent information to help begin the process of becoming registered and compliant with DEC’s solid waste rules and regulations.
Dump truck loaded with alleged unlawful fill material in the town of Lewisboro, Westchester County
Trout Stocking – Putnam County
On April 11, ECOs Franz and Schuck joined DEC Fisheries employees and local volunteers to stock approximately 3,000 brown trout throughout the Croton River in Putnam County. Officers assisted with releasing fish into the water, checking water temperature, and traffic control. April 1 kicked off the beginning of the highly anticipated spring trout season in New York and DEC trout stocking is in full swing with brook, brown, and rainbow trout stocked in ponds and streams throughout the state. Fish stocking enhances recreational fishing opportunities and helps restore native species. For a list of waterbodies scheduled to be stocked with fish, visit the DEC website.
ECOs assist with trout stocking at Croton River in Putnam County
Trotline Trouble – Sullivan County
On April 13, ECOs responded to a complaint in the town of Thompson regarding anglers keeping bass out of season at Gurney’s Pond. The complainant allowed the Officers to use his kayak to check the anglers. While ECOs made their way out to the boaters, they passed a trotline in the middle of the pond consisting of plastic soda bottles serving as floats. The Officers arrived at the anglers’ boat, observed additional soda bottles in the vessel matching those on the makeshift trotline, and interviewed the subjects. ECOs quickly determined nobody onboard possessed a fishing license or Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) as required by law. The Officers escorted the anglers back to shore and issued tickets for fishing without a freshwater fishing license, fishing by means others than angling, and failure to possess PFDs while boating.
Trotline of soda bottles lead ECOs to illegal anglers in Sullivan County
Unusual Clam Dig – Kings County
On April 13, ECO Bieber observed a group of people unlawfully taking shellfish from an uncertified area while patrolling Gerritsen Beach in Brooklyn. Taking shellfish from areas that are not certified is a misdemeanor under Environmental Conservation Law because the shellfish are deemed unsafe for human consumption or commerce.
The group fled when ECO Bieber approached, prompting her to call Officers Ableson and Bayne for assistance. The ECO eventually managed to round up and detain most of the clammers at the location, but one member of the group fled into the woods with buckets of shellfish.
Officers Ableson and Bayne searched the woods for the discarded buckets and found two buckets full of freshly harvested illegal shellfish, and something more unexpected: a handgun. The detained clammers claimed that while digging for clams, one of them dug up a discarded handgun from the Gerritsen Inlet and stashed it with the clams. Two clammers were charged with taking clams from uncertified waters and the firearm was turned over to the New York City Police Department Intelligence Bureau for analyses and further investigation. ECO Kortz assisted with the case.
Firearm discovered during illegal clamming investigation in Brooklyn
To contact an ECO to report an environmental crime or to report an incident, call 1-844-DEC-ECOS for 24-hour dispatch or email (for non-urgent violations).
