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 the first half of 2025, DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement fielded an estimated 45,000 calls, resulting in environmental conservation police officers (ECOs) and investigators across the state responding to more than 18,934 complaints and working on cases that resulted in 9,440 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the illegal pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.
In 2024, the division fielded more than 105,717 calls, resulting in 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.
