Nuisance Black Bears
The number of nuisance black bear complaints started to increase in March due to the warmer weather. Western District Environmental Conservation Police Officers received 20 calls or complaints regarding black bears, including 3 separate incidents were 2 goats and a calf were reported to have been killed by bears.
Search Warrant Execution
On 3/11/06, Western District Environmental Conservation Police Officers executed a search warrant at a private residence in the Town of Danbury. The search warrant was based on a trapping investigation into illegal trapping in the Town of Sharon that began in December 2005. During the course of the search, evidence of possible State trapping violations, State and Federal firearms violations and Federal Wildlife violations were located. The investigation is continuing with enforcement action on both the State and Federal level expected.
ATV Enforcement
During the month of March, Western District Environmental Conservation Police Officers received or responded to 22 complaints of illegal ATV activity. The complaints resulted in 15 arrests and 1 written warning.
Oil Spill Closes Housatonic River
On 3/28/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officers from the Southwest Sector responded to a report of a large oil spill in the Housatonic River in the Town of Derby. The Hull Dye factory, which is closed, leaked an undetermined amount of bunker oil into the river. Due to the amount of oil, the DEP Inland Fisheries Division instituted an emergency closure of the river from the Derby dam south to the confluence of the Naugatuck River to protect the fish in the area. EnCon Police officers patrolled the area during the closure period to advise anglers of the closure and to ensure compliance with the emergency order.
Narcotics/MV Arrests
On 3/2/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Todd Chemacki was patrolling Messerschmidts Wildlife Management Area in Westbrook when he observed a Jeep enter the area at a high rate of speed and drive into the woods on a hiking trail. Officer Chemacki waited for the Jeep to leave the area. When the Jeep finally came out of the woods, Officer Chemacki exited his vehicle and began to approach the vehicle. The Jeep suddenly backed away from the Officer and tried to go back into the woods. Officer Chemacki ran after the Jeep, ordering the operator to stop. The Officer was able to catch the Jeep as it was attempting to turn around. Officer Chemacki opened the driver's side door of the vehicle and immediately smelled the odor of burning marijuana. Officer Chemacki took the operator out of the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs. A search of the operator revealed he was in possession of a small bag of suspected marijuana and a marijuana-smoking pipe. The Jeep was not registered or insured and the operator only had a learners permit. The operator was transported to Troop F in Westbrook and released on a $500.00 non-surety bond.
On 3/25/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Todd Chemacki was patrolling Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison where he observed a vehicle operating at a high rate of speed and crossing over the double yellow line in the roadway. He ran a registration check of the plate and the information did not match the suspect vehicle. Officer Chemacki conducted a motor vehicle stop with the assistance of EnCon Police Officers Tavares and Lindo. Officer Chemacki questioned the operator and found that the registration had recently been transferred. Officer Chemacki received consent to search the vehicle. Officer Tavares observed suspected marijuana material on the floor of the passenger's side of the vehicle. Officer Chemacki searched the subject that had been sitting in the passenger's seat and found him to be in possession of marijuana. Officer Tavares found additional marijuana in a pocket in the back seat of the vehicle. Both the front seat and back seat passengers were taken into custody and charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. They were processes at the Hammonasset EnCon Police office and released on a promise to appear.
Lobster Violation
On 3/31/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Raul Ramos and Jeff Samorajczyk responded to the Stony Creek area of Branford on a complaint that a subject was lobstering without the proper permits. The officers responded to the area and observed a subject tending lobster pots from a small vessel that was not displaying a buoy or lobster license plate as required. When the subject came to shore, the officers stopped him and did an inspection of his license and catch. The subject did have a lobster license but was not displaying a lobster license plate or buoy as required nor did the vessel have a commercial vessel permit as required. The subject was issued a summons at the scene and released.
Narcotics Arrests
On 3/11/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officers Eric Johnson and Dean Wojcik and Captain Rick Lewis were on patrol at Wauregan Reservior State Park in Killingly. When they drove into the parking area they observed a vehicle with three occupants. When the occupants saw the officers approaching, two of them appeared to hide objects under the front seat. The officers investigated the suspicious action and found a marijuana cigarette and a cocaine pipe in the vehicle. A 35 year-old male was arrested and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Less Than 4 Oz. of Marijuana.
On 3/17/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officers Eric Johnson and Mike Blanchette were on patrol at Mansfield Hollow State Park. Upon driving up to a car in a parking lot one of the occupants appeared to hide objects under the seat. The officers observed a plastic bag in plain view containing a white powder and the 61 year-old male had white powder visible under his right nostril. When the subject was removed from the vehicle, he threw a plastic bag on the ground, which was later determined to contain cocaine. He admitted to having used cocaine for about twenty-five years and that he has a $40 a day habit. He was arrested and charged with Possession of Narcotics.
Thames River Patrol Initiative
Environmental Conservation Police Officers were assigned to patrol the Thames River in Norwich in response to complaints of fishing violations involving Striped Bass. Officers generated forty cases that included 29 for Fishing Without a License, 7 for Snagging, and 4 Boating violations.
Assist State Police
On 3/24/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officers Joe Ruggiero and LukeYacovou were on patrol in Durham when they responded to Beseck Lake in Middlefield to assist a State Police Trooper investigating a stolen vehicle with two occupants. The officers arrived on scene and learned that the suspect vehicle had been abandoned by the two occupants. The suspects were believed to be hiding among the nearby lakeside homes. The EnCon officers began searching in the area of the State Boat Launch and immediately spotted one of the suspects who quickly disappeared from sight. The EnCon officers located both suspects nearby and one of them reached into a pants pocket. Both suspects were handcuffed and a spoon used to cook crack cocaine was recovered from one of the suspect's pants pocket. A Trooper and Middlefield Police Officer responded to the scene and took custody of the two subjects. The two suspects were transported to Troop F and charged with several crimes including Larceny of a Motor Vehicle. One of the men was already on probation and the other was scheduled to begin a seven- year prison sentence in two weeks.