SYRACUSE, N.Y. — On Dec. 9, 18 new environmental conservation police officers (ECOs) joined the ranks of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) Division of Law Enforcement (DLE), after the 23rd Basic School graduation in Syracuse. The officers endured six months of intense training at the academy in Pulaski, where they learned basic […]
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — On Dec. 9, 18 new environmental conservation police officers (ECOs) joined the ranks of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) Division of Law Enforcement (DLE), after the 23rd Basic School graduation in Syracuse.
The officers endured six months of intense training at the academy in Pulaski, where they learned basic police skills, self-defense tactics, firearms handling, and emergency-vehicle operation, among many other lessons, the DEC said in a news release.
The DLE 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 2021, ECOs and investigators across the state responded to 26,207 calls and worked on cases that resulted in 11,562 tickets or arrests for violations. Those ranged from deer poaching to solid-waste dumping, illegal mining, the black-market pet trade, and excessive emissions violations, the DEC said.
