(Editor’s note: A criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the state of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.)
‘You can’t put that there’
(Sullivan County)
On June 28, ECO Tom Koepf received a call from The Town of Bethel code enforcement office regarding a local religious camp that had generated a large pile of solid waste on its property. Koepf and a Bethel code enforcement officer visited the camp and observed a large pile of garbage that had been discarded on the camp’s property across the road from the main headquarters. Koepf spoke to a manager from the camp, who admitted that the camp had been discarding garbage into the pile, with no plans of removal. The camp was cited for the unlawful disposal of solid waste and operating a solid waste management facility without a permit, returnable to Bethel Town Court. The camp was also issued violations from the code enforcement officer and advised that the garbage needed to be properly disposed of in dumpsters in the near future.
Two raptors in one day
(New York City)
On June 26, ECOs Matt Thibodeau and Zach Kochanowski received a call regarding an injured peregrine falcon at JFK Airport in Queens County. Thibodeau and Kochanowski met with employees in the cargo area who had already placed the falcon in a large box to await the officers. The falcon had an injured wing and was not able to fly, so the ECOs transported the bird to a wildlife rehabilitator in Nassau County near the airport. Later that day, ECO Dan Plows received a complaint that a fledging hawk in Bronx County had fallen out of a nest. Plows responded, determined the injured bird was a fledging kestrel, which he took to the same rehabilitator in Nassau County.
Snake in the ceiling
(Oswego County)
On June 29, ECO Matt Foster responded to an unusual complaint in the village of Pulaski. The panicked caller reported that a large snake had fallen from the ceiling onto a subject sleeping in his bedroom. After a brief investigation, the officer determined the six-foot-long red-tailed boa constrictor had escaped its enclosure in the apartment above and entered the ceiling. The snake, which is legal to possess in New York, was reunited with its owner.
Fawn rescues
(Broome, Tioga, Onondaga counties)
June 25, was a busy day for ECOs as numerous reports of fawns needing assistance were fielded by Region 7 officers. In the city of Binghamton, ECO Andy McCormick responded to a report of a fawn trapped in the backyard of an abandoned property surrounded by a six-foot-high chain-link fence. McCormick responded to the scene with Lt. Ric Warner and Investigator Rob Johnson. The officers scaled the fence and found the fawn in the high grass and moved the fawn to the other side of the fence. A doe appeared as soon as the fawn bleated, and the lucky fawn was seen leaving with its mother. Meanwhile, in the town of Nichols in Tioga County, ECO Stan Winnick and DEC air resources specialist Tom Gragg responded to another complaint of an abandoned fawn. A farmer noticed a vehicle stopped alongside the farm for a period of time before driving away. Checking where the car had stopped, the farmer found a small fawn with a bottle of milk. After determining the mother was not nearby, Winnick transported the fawn to the nearest licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator. In the town of Onondaga, ECO Paul Sherman and Lt. Dave McShane responded to a complaint of a fawn trapped after falling into a five-foot-deep hole surrounded by a wooden structure. The pit had been constructed by the homeowner to protect a tree when fill was brought in to raise the level of the yard. The wooden structure was intended to keep people from falling into the pit, with just enough space to allow the young deer to fall in and become trapped. After the complainant removed a few boards from the structure, the officers freed the fawn using a catchpole and rope. The animal was released in the backyard to reunite with its mother.
‘Operation Dry Water,’ short fish
(Long Island Sound)
On June 30, ECOs Craig Tompkins and Kevin Wamsley patrolled on Long Island Sound for Operation Dry Water, a nationwide enforcement detail focused on identifying individuals boating while intoxicated (BWI). Wamsley and Tompkins boarded 19 vessels during the day, but found no BWI offenses. However, the ECOs did encounter violations of Environmental Conservation Law. As the officers approached one vessel, a man onboard tried to straddle a five-gallon bucket in an attempt to make it less visible to the ECOs. After asking the individuals onboard who had caught and kept fish on the vessel, the man reluctantly pulled out the five-gallon bucket and handed it to the ECOs. At the bottom of the bucket, hidden under legal fish, the officers found several undersized porgies. The man was issued the appropriate citations. Another vessel was discovered with short porgies on board and a summons was issued to the individual in possession. The following day, Sunday, July 1, ECOs Dustin Dainack and Craig Tompkins conducted boat patrol for Operation Dry Water and issued additional summonses for undersized porgy, undersized fluke, and no marine registration. All cases were pending in Rye City Court.
4th of July, unplugged
(Greene County)
On July 4, ECOs Anthony Glorioso and Nathan Doig were on boat patrol on the Hudson River off Riverside Park in the town of Coxsackie, assisting with public safety during the fireworks show. At approximately 8:50 p.m., the ECOs noticed a boat carrying four passengers being launched into the river. After the launch, the officers noticed the boat failed to display required navigational lights. The ECOs stopped the vessel and advised the operator to turn on the required lights. Upon encountering difficulty with the lights, Glorioso noticed the boat’s bilge pump was running, which was odd because the boat had just been launched. Glorioso inquired if the operator had put the drain plug into the boat prior to launching, resulting in the reply of, “Oh no!” With the boat taking on water, the officers assisted in getting the vessel safely back to the boat launch and onto the trailer safely where it could be drained.
Emissions enforcement
(Kings County)
On July 2, ECOs Connor Dodge and Zachary Kochanowski were on patrol in Kings County looking for heavy-duty diesel vehicle (HDDV) violations. The ECOs conducted multiple vehicle stops and inspections resulting in 21 summonses being issued for various offenses including: no HDDV emissions inspection; idling diesel in excess of five minutes; transporting an uncovered load of solid waste; no safety inspection; and unregistered motor vehicle. All summonses were returnable to Kings County Court.
The red, white and blue (and green)
(New York City)
On July 4, ECOs Ryan Wing, Zachary Kochanowski, Daniel Plows, Matthew Thibodeau and Josh Jarecki participated in a multiple agency detail, including the Fire Department of New York, New York Police Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard for the 2018 Macy’s Fireworks display in New York City. The detail was tasked with preventing boats over 65 feet in length from entering a security zone established by the Coast Guard to keep boats from getting too close to the five barges setting off the fireworks display. The detail was also tasked with public safety, counter terrorism, and emergency response. At the end of the event, ECOs also helped ensure all the boats at the display made it out of the area safely.
Happy fluke of July
(Kings County)
On July 4, ECOs Max Woyton and Connor Dodge patrolled Kings County for recreational marine fishing enforcement. The holiday started off with a bang as a man was spotted leaving a marina with a bucketful of fluke. The man was found to be in possession of 16 fluke – 12 fish over the daily catch limit and 15 of the fish under the size limit of 19 inches. All of the fish were cut up or filleted. Subsequently, the ECOs caught a fisherman on a beach in Brooklyn with another short fluke, along with an individual who had dumped his catch of scup into the jetty rocks as the ECOs approached.
Next, ECOs observed two parties exiting a beach with coolers and fishing gear. After interviewing and inspecting the catch, the two anglers were found to be in possession of undersized scup, undersized fluke, and undersized striped bass. While en route to another location, a man was observed riding a bicycle down a sidewalk pulling a fishing kayak. The man was eager to show his catch, which included striped bass and fluke under the legal size limit. The ECOs discovered an additional group in Queens in possession of two more short fluke. Overall the officers seizures totaled 40 fish, including 25 fluke, two striped bass, and 13 scup seized and donated. The ECOs issued 16 summonses, including possession of undersized striped bass, possession of undersized fluke, possession of over the limit of fluke, possession of mutilated fluke, possession of undersized scup, dumping fish upon signal to stop, fishing without a marine registry, and insufficient personal floatation devices.
Snapchat leads to charges
(Erie County)
In early July, a video post on Snapchat depicting a young male striking a snapping turtle through its carapace with a pick ax went viral in the town of Holland, resulting in the video and subject’s information being posted on Facebook. DEC law enforcement was alerted and launched an immediate investigation. On July 7, ECO Tim Machnica located and interviewed the suspect in the town of Colden. The subject admitted he had killed the turtle because he was concerned about the safety of his younger sister and his dog. The subject has a valid hunting license, but the season for taking snapping turtles was closed and his method of taking was illegal. Machnica issued summonses for taking small game during the closed season and taking small game by means not specified. The defendant faces fines of up to $500, not including court surcharges.
Swiftwater rescue
(Livingston County)
On July 8, ECO Chris Ward responded to a 911 call from Livingston County regarding two individuals stranded in the Genesee River north of Route 20A in the town of Geneseo. Ward arrived and joined a multi-agency effort to locate the father and his adult daughter. Following the information given, the responders were on the west side of the Genesee River. Rescuers determined that the responders were approximately .3 miles too far north and on the wrong side of the river. Ward and Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Phillips were at the Route 20A bridge when new information was dispatched with the victims’ correct location. Ward and Phillips located the pair approximately a half mile away, hanging onto a fallen tree in five feet of rushing water. Phillips crawled on top of the deadfall and comforted the individuals, while officer Ward threw a throw bag to the father and instructed him to secure it to his daughter. After the rope was secured, the daughter refused to let go of the deadfall. With Phillips anchoring the rescue line on shore, Ward secured himself to it, worked his way out to the individuals, and convinced the daughter to grab onto him and let go of the deadfall. Ward brought her to shore safely. Ward and Phillips then repeated the same process with the father. Once out of the water, both victims were checked by local EMTs and determined to be uninjured.
Big birds keep ECOs busy
(Onondaga County)
On July 6, Lt. Dave McShane and ECO Paul Sherman responded to a report of an injured bald eagle on an undeveloped island on Cross Lake. The eagle had been spotted by kayakers unable to provide specific information on the location of the raptor. The two officers searched the island but failed to locate the bird. The following day, DEC received additional reports of eagle sightings with detailed location information. ECOs Don Damrath and Mark Colesante responded and searched again, eventually spotting the injured eagle in a blown-down tree. Approaching cautiously, Damrath persuaded the eagle to enter a cage. The injured eagle, a 2-year-old female, was taken to a raptor rehabilitator, where it was determined the bird likely had a broken left wrist. The eagle was transported to the Cornell University Wildlife Health Center for X-rays and further evaluation.
On July 9, ECO Damrath was dispatched to the Seneca River Dam in Baldwinsville after receiving reports of an injured great blue heron. Damrath arrived to find the bird entangled in monofilament fishing line after going for the bait being used by a 14-year-old fisherman. Moving quickly to prevent additional injury as the line tightened around the bird’s body, the ECO freed the bird from hook and line. The bird immediately flew off. The young fisherman’s mother thanked Damrath for his assistance and shared her son’s desire to become an environmental conservation officer when he grows up.
Honoring a fallen brother
(Steuben County)
On July 8, thousands of family members, friends, police, and first responders from across New York State and the nation, including 60 members from the DEC Division of Law Enforcement and Division of Forest Protection gathered to pay their respects at the funeral services for New York State Trooper Nicholas F. Clark. Trooper Clark was shot and killed in the line of duty on July 2 while responding to a call of a suicidal man barricaded in a home near Corning, Steuben County. Trooper Clark was 29 years old and a three-year veteran of the New York State Police. He will be remembered for his leadership, passion for life, and willingness to help others.
The post New York Outdoor News Cuffs & Collars – Dec. 14, 2018 appeared first on Outdoornews.
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