Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police

History

Prior to 1895, the protection of fish and game was the responsibility of the towns and counties.

In 1895 the Connecticut General Assembly established the Commission of Fisheries & Game which appointed the first "Special Game Protectors". The first Special Game Protectors were Edson L. Perkins of Litchfield, Charles N. Ellsworth of Collinsville, Theodore D. Adams of Seymour; George W. Eaton of Stafford Springs, Jeremiah G. Dunbar of New London, Elton E. Warren of New Hartford, Henry M. Alling of New Haven, Thomas H. Ward of Lebanon, Andrew W. Loomis of Willimantic and Willard L. Selleck of Bethany. The Special Game Protector has evolved into today's Conservation Officer.

With the abolishment of the County Sheriffs system in Connecticut, the State Environmental Conservation Police are now the longest serving state law enforcement entity in Connecticut.

Significant events of the organizational and statutory changes that have taken place since 1895:

EnCon Police Today

All EnCon Police officers are certified as police officers in accordance with the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council (CT POST) certification requirements. EnCon Police officers are required to successfully complete the same Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council Basic Police Academy as all municipal police officers in Connecticut and maintain this certification through ongoing in-service training. Due to the complexities of the job, EnCon Police officers routinely receive specialized training above and beyond that of municipal police officers in areas related to the EnCon Police missions. A number of EnCon Police officers are certified by CT POST as instructors in a number of areas including defensive tactics, firearms, domestic violence, rape crisis, and hunting laws. Every basic police academy class and recertification training program has a block of training involving hunting laws taught by EnCon Police instructors. In addition to their state authority, EnCon Police officers are appointed as special deputy agents for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service so they may enforce federal fisheries and wildlife laws.

The State Environmental Conservation Police are assigned to three districts, East, West and Marine, in addition to the Hartford Headquarters Command Staff. Each district is commanded by a Captain. The two inland districts are divided into a north and south sector. The Marine district is divided into three sectors, east, central and west. Each sector is supervised by a Sergeant. The Hartford Headquarters Command Staff consists of the Director, who holds the rank of Colonel, as well as the Training Sergeant and an Administrative Sergeant. They are responsible for overall command and administrative functions such as personnel, equipment procurement, purchasing, training, policies and procedures and coordination with other DEEP Divisions and other State and Federal law enforcement agencies.

Fish and Game Enforcement

Connecticut EnCon Police Officers not only have the responsibility of enforcing Connecticut’s fish and game laws and regulations, but are also Deputy Special Agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service and as such may also enforce U.S. Federal Codes concerning the taking of fish and wildlife.

Their duties in fish and game enforcement include a wide range of activities from checking sporting licenses to undercover assignments investigating suspected violations of fish and game law. The purpose of enforcing fish and game laws is to ensure that the state’s wildlife and fish populations are not harvested in excess or illegally exploited for commercial gain. Excessive harvesting or exploitation of a species can lead to an overall decline of the species population or contribute to the extinction of a species. Through the enforcement of fish and game laws and regulations EnCon Police Officers help to maintain stable populations of fish and wildlife species for future generations to enjoy.

EnCon Police are responsible for investigating hunting related shootings. A specialized investigative team, the Hunting Related Shooting Investigation Unit (HRSI) responds to all hunting related shootings that result in the death or injury to a person or significant property damage to conduct a technical reconstruction of the shooting. All members of the HRSI Unit are required to complete the International Hunter Education Association "Hunting Shooting Academy" which provides advanced training in reconstruction techniques. Team members have and continue to serve as instructors for the Hunting Shooting Academy on a national level.

Boating

EnCon Police Officers are responsible for patrolling all waters within the State and Long Island Sound for recreational boating safety enforcement. EnCon Police Officers enforce state boating laws and regulations to ensure a safe and enjoyable boating experience for the many recreational boaters that enjoy Connecticut waterways each year. To enhance the safety of boaters, EnCon Police Officers inspect boats for compliance with safety equipment requirements and check boat operators for compliance with boat operator certification requirements.

EnCon Police Officers utilize various sized patrol vessels to patrol Connecticut’s waters. A new 27’ Safe Boat patrol vessel, powered by twin 250 horsepower outboard motors, is equipped with a 360 degree infrared camera and provides EnCon Police Officers with all weather capability for enforcement and search & rescue missions on Long Island Sound.

EnCon Police Officers also investigate boating accidents that occur on Connecticut waters. The Division maintains a "Boating Accident Reconstruction Unit" (B.A.R.U.) whose members reconstruct boating accidents that involved the death or serious physical injury of a person. The B.A.R.U. consists of 10 officers supervised by a sergeant, all of whom are specially trained in the field of boating accident reconstruction. Officers receive ongoing boat operation training including navigation, emergency operations, pursuit operations and Boating Under the Influence by completing specialized training courses conducted by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).

The Division is also responsible for oversight of lake authority marine patrol units on Candlewood Lake. These lake patrol units work under the supervision of an EnCon Police Sergeant who coordinates their patrols and training activities. Each lake patrol officer must successfully complete a 60-hour training course that provides comprehensive training in boating laws, B.U.I. enforcement, vessel boarding procedures, officer safety and first aid. In addition to training lake patrol officers the Division provides EnCon Police Officers to serve as instructors for the Boating Safety Division’s law enforcement training programs for marine police units.

Commercial Fishing

EnCon Police Officers are responsible for enforcing Connecticut’s laws and regulations pertaining to the commercial harvesting of fish and shellfish.

As Deputy Special Agents of the National Marine Fisheries Service they may also enforce Federal Codes concerning the commercial harvesting of marine fish and shellfish. EnCon Police Officers routinely inspect commercial fishing vessels to ensure compliance with species limitations, licensing and permit requirements and other laws pertaining to the commercial fishing industry.

The EnCon Police Division’s Marine District officers work closely with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Aquaculture and the United States Food & Drug Administration to help ensure that contaminated shellfish do not reach the consumer market.

Wildlife Management

EnCon Police Officers respond to reports of sick, injured or nuisance wildlife. Officers responding to such reports make every effort to save the life of the animal or to relocate the animal to a more suitable habitat to reduce conflict between the animal and humans. In the case of injured wildlife, if possible, the officer will turn the animal over to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for care with the goal of eventual return of the animal to its natural environment.

EnCon Police Officers work with Department biologists to monitor Connecticut’s growing black bear population and work to protect the public through education about living with black bears. Every year there are thousands of reports of bear sightings and nuisance bear complaints. During winter months hibernating bears are located and data regarding population, health and the number of cubs with sows is gathered. In addition to black bears, Connecticut has a growing moose population. EnCon Police Officers assigned to the Chemical Immobilization team are experienced at tranquilizing and relocating moose as well as bear and deer from urban to rural areas of the state. Moose require special handling when tranquilized. Officers must cover the moose with ice to keep the moose from overheating and in many cases provide the moose with oxygen during transport. Once a moose is relocated, officers and biologists monitor the moose until it can safely return to the wild.

Parks and Forests

EnCon Police Officers serve as the primary police agency within our state parks and forests. Criminal activity of the same type that occurs in urban or residential areas also occurs within the state parks and forests.

Officers patrol the state parks and forests to act as a deterrent to such criminal activity. When crimes do occur in these areas, EnCon Police Officers respond to the complaints and conduct investigations with the goal of apprehending those responsible for the criminal activity.

Recreational Vehicles

EnCon Police Officers enforce state laws and regulations pertaining to the operation of snowmobiles and all terrain vehicles on state owned property and on frozen bodies of water. Officers utilize snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles and off road motorcycles to patrol for potential violators. In addition, the Division is assisted by the Connecticut State Police Aviation Unit to enhance enforcement efforts.

Search & Rescue

Every year, EnCon Police Officers responded to dozens of Search & Rescue (SAR) and missing person incidents in Connecticut State parks and Forests, on the state’s lakes and rivers and on Long Island Sound. These missions range from locating lost hikers to recovery of drowning victims to aircraft accidents in Long Island Sound. EnCon Police Officers provide a valuable service to local and state police, fire departments and the US Coast Guard in SAR missions due to their extensive knowledge of the remote areas of the state and our offshore waters. Officers utilize patrol vessels, all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles to augment these search efforts.

K-9 Unit

In June 2012, four EnCon Police Officers and their K-9 partners completed training conducted by the Connecticut State Police and became certified handlers in the areas of search and rescue and evidence detection. The officers and their partners went through four weeks of vigorous training before becoming certified. The Agency obtained three of the dogs from Connecticut Labrador Rescue Inc, in Haddam and Michael Case, a private breeder from Colebrook, Connecticut who donated the fourth K-9 to the Department.

Homeland Security

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the EnCon Police have been tasked with a number of responsibilities related to Homeland Security. As a result of these attacks, the mission of the United States Coast Guard has involved additional off shore patrol assignments. These assignments have affected the Coast Guard’s ability to respond to Search & Rescue missions on Long Island Sound. In order to protect public safety, and to assist the Coast Guard, the EnCon Police serves as their primary backup. EnCon Police Officers actively patrol public watershed areas by vehicle and on foot to enhance the level of security of public drinking water supplies. Officers conduct waterborne security patrols of the major harbor areas of the state to augment U.S. Coast Guard resources to protect this infrastructure that is vital to Connecticut’s economy. EnCon Police work with the United States Navy as needed escorting submarines transiting between the Groton Submarine Base on the Thames River and Long Island Sound.

Officers also conduct Homeland Security patrols in the waters off the Millstone Point Nuclear Power Plant in Waterford. Officers patrol this area on a 24-hour/7-day-a-week basis during times of elevated terrorist threat levels.

Public Outreach

The EnCon Police Division dedicates numerous hours every year in educating the public on such topics as the protection of our natural resources and safety concerns while enjoying the outdoors. EnCon Police Officers often appear at agricultural fairs, schools, fish & game clubs, businesses, civic and youth group organizations to accomplish this important goal. Officers utilize two mobile trailers that are stocked with educational materials and mounts of indigenous wildlife.

Equipment

EnCon Police officers are assigned four wheel drive pickup trucks as patrol vehicles. The trucks are unmarked but have an emergency light bar installed. EnCon Police maintains a 24-hour emergency dispatch center in a centralized location in the Hartford Headquarters. Utilizing a computer aided dispatch system as well as a high band trunked radio system, the DEEP emergency dispatch center is in radio and computer contact with all officers in the field. Command and supervisory staff are assigned Ford Taurus Police Interceptors or Ford SUV Police Interceptors as vehicles.

Officers have access to a wide range of boats for patrol and emergency response ranging from 10 foot aluminum row boats to a 42-foot Westmac lobster boat. Officers also have access to all terrain vehicles and snowmobiles for use in patrol and search & rescue operations.

Each officer is issued a Glock Model 22 .40 caliber pistol, Mossberg model 500 12 gauge shotgun and Bushmaster .223 caliber patrol rifle. Each officer is trained and issued a conducted electrical defense weapon (Taser) and OC spray. Officers of all ranks wear an olive green uniform. The Class "C" uniform is for daily use on field assignments. The Class "C" uniform consists of BDU style shirt and trousers with shoulder patches, an embroidered badge and embroidered name tag. Officers wear a nylon duty belt with nylon and plastic holster and accessories as well as black baseball style cap with a smaller version of the shoulder patch. Command personnel (Colonel and Captains) wear black rank insignia on the shirt collar. Sergeants wear Sergeant stripes on the sleeves of the shirt. The Class "B" uniform is considered the dress uniform and is used for public outreach events, court appearances, teaching assignments and any other event where a professional appearance is required. The Class "B" uniform consist of a long or short sleeve shirt, trousers with a forest green stripe, Clarino duty belt and accessories and a black "Stetson" style felt uniform hat with long sleeve shirts and an olive green "Stetson" style straw hat for summer wear with short sleeve shirts. Command personnel (Colonel and Captains) wear a gold cord with acorns on their hats. Sergeants where a black and gold cord with acorns and all other officers wear a black cord with acorns on their hats. A gold metal badge is worn on the Class "B" uniform shirt as well as a gold metal name plate. Any specialized ratings such as Field Training Officer, K-9 officer, Firearms Instructor, etc. are worn on the Class "B" uniform. Department awards for meritorious action, lifesaving and bravery in the form of colored citation bars are worn over the right pocket of the Class "B" shirt. Command personnel (Colonel and Captains) wear gold rank emblems on the collars of the Class "B" uniform shirt while Sergeants wear embroidered stripes on the shirt sleeves. All other ranks wear a small cloisonne version of the uniform patch on the shirt collar. Officers performing boating patrols are permitted to wear issued olive green polo shirts and shorts in place of the heavier material of the regular Class "C" uniform. Officers are issued black winter parkas, olive green jackets and orange float coats for use in various weather conditions.