Too Early – Bronx County
On April 1, ECOs Barbera and Kortz patrolled Pelham Bay in the Bronx ahead of the April 15 striped bass season opener. The Officers issued three tickets to anglers for taking out-of-season striped bass, all returnable to Bronx Criminal Court.
Belmont Lake Fishing Festival – Babylon, Suffolk County
On April 5, ECOs Berketis, Dickson, and Ruffle assisted DEC Fisheries and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) at the annual Spring Family Fishing Festival at Belmont Lake State Park. Prior to the festival, DEC stocked Belmont Lake with nearly 1,000 brown and rainbow trout, giving the hundreds of festival attendees great opportunities to catch fish despite the mostly rainy conditions that day. ECOs patrolled the lake, assisted anglers, and answered questions about an ECO’s job duties and New York State fishing regulations. The festival also included vendors, food trucks, fly fishing demonstrations, and plenty of giveaways. Fishing poles and bait were provided by DEC’s I FISH NY program.
Trout fishing season is open year-round at Belmont Lake State Park. The daily limit is five fish, with no more than two fish longer than 12 inches.
Unusual Clam Dig – Kings County
On April 13, ECO Bieber observed a group of people unlawfully taking shellfish from an uncertified area while patrolling Gerritsen Beach in Brooklyn. Taking shellfish from areas that are not certified is a misdemeanor under Environmental Conservation Law because the shellfish are deemed unsafe for human consumption or commerce.
The group fled when ECO Bieber approached, prompting her to call Officers Ableson and Bayne for assistance. The ECO eventually managed to round up and detain most of the clammers at the location, but one member of the group fled into the woods with buckets of shellfish.
Officers Ableson and Bayne searched the woods for the discarded buckets and found two buckets full of freshly harvested illegal shellfish, and something more unexpected: a handgun. The detained clammers claimed that while digging for clams, one of them dug up a discarded handgun from the Gerritsen Inlet and stashed it with the clams. Two clammers were charged with taking clams from uncertified waters and the firearm was turned over to the New York City Police Department Intelligence Bureau for analyses and further investigation. ECO Kortz assisted with the case.
