CT EnCon Police
Eastern District Highlights
February 2019

Disorderly Conduct Arrest
Just after dark on 2/13/19 Officers Logiodice and Curran received a complaint of a blocked road in Pachaug State Forest on the Voluntown/North Stonington town line. The complainant gave a sworn written statement, indicating that when he tried to drive out of the forest at dusk back to his home he found a dump truck blocking the road between two stone walls; The 33 year old owner of the property on either side of the (public) state forest roadway became angry, aggravated and confrontational with the complainant, telling him he would not move his truck and that the complainant should drive home the opposite way through the forest (a several mile detour). Two hours later the suspect was contacted by the Officers, where they found the truck still blocking the road and forest access. The suspect stated his truck had broken down and he would try to jump start it; he was reminded he was blocking a public roadway. Due to the nature of this repeat complaint, the suspect was arrested for disorderly conduct and was released on a promise to appear in New London Superior Court.

Recreational Enforcement Activity
Officer Vroman received several complaints of illegal All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) activity in and around Yale Forest and adjacent areas of Nipmuck State Forest in Eastford. On 2/23/19 he encountered a group of ATVs being operated on a public highway; he later found they had driven on trails through Yale Forest to access the public road. The 35 year old father was cited for illegal operation on a roadway and without registration; his accompanying wife and several children were all warned for the same activity and ceased operations.
On 2/27/19 Officer Landry was patrolling areas of Meshomasic State Forest in Glastonbury and adjacent power lines at the request for assistance from Eversource officials, who were encountering trespassing of their property and some damage from 4X4 vehicles. A white Jeep passed Officer Landry on a state hiking trail, which was eventually stopped at a yellow Eversource bargate clearly posted against trespass by recreational vehicles. The 21 year old male operator was cited for the violation and escorted back to the proper roadway.
On February 23, 2019, Officer Ruggiero was patrolling Haddam Meadows State Park and located a Chevy Tahoe truck and double jet-ski trailer parked along the river, well away from the boat launch. He found nothing indicating a vessel was launched, and then found the registration came back to a different vehicle. The Vehicle ID number (VIN) was run and the vehicle was not stolen; follow-up calls were made to the owner’s residence in Southington to determine if someone was missing, in distress, etc. with no response. After waiting some time past sunset, Officer Ruggiero saw the vehicle with the unregistered trailer, now with a small boat on it, driving toward the park exit with two males and two females in it. Upon stopping them, the 30 year old male operator stated they had spent the day on Haddam Island. He could not produce proper registration for the vehicle, and was found to be unlicensed to operate in Connecticut. He was arrested for the registration misuse, towing an unregistered trailer, and the license violation. The truck and trailer were towed from the park.
Later that same night of 2/23/19, Officer Ruggiero was on patrol on I-95 in Guilford when a Volkswagen sedan blinded him from behind with high beams, and continued for another half mile at a high rate of speed in the left lane, in medium to heavy traffic. Upon stopping the vehicle, the marker plate came back to a Mercedes Benz. The 18 year old operator said she had just bought the car, was unaware of the high beams, and had been given the marker plate by a friend so she could get home. She was arrested for misuse of marker plates and the light violation, and her vehicle was towed.

Public Safety Responses
After dark on 2/2/19, Officer Scatena was dispatched to Lower Bolton Lake, Vernon, for a reported snowmobile through the ice. Upon arrival, it was determined that three snowmobiles had been on the ice, attempting to go ashore near the dam which had no ice. One vehicle went into the water, while the other two parties went safely a different way. Vernon Police cited the operator of the sunken snowmobile for operating unregistered, while Officer Scatena cited the other two male operators for the same violations. The sunken snowmobile was later recovered without incident, following notification to DEEP Spills Response personnel.
On February 25th, Officer Vroman was notified of two hikers in their thirties who were reported lost after sunset in Devils Hopyard State Park, East Haddam, and that fire department personnel were staging in the area. Canine Officer Logiodice also responded, but the parties were able to get back safely prior to the Officers’ arrival without incident; Follow up found no medical or other issues, and all units cleared.









CT State EnCon Police
Marine District Monthly Highlights
February 2019


Enforcement Wildlife
On Feb. 1st Officer Hey responded in the area of exit 41 & 42 on the Merritt Parkway in Westport for a report of several ducks that were deceased along the side of the highway and some that were still alive but frozen to the ground. Upon arrival Officer Hey determined that the ducks were decoys.

Shellfish & Commercial Fishing Enforcement
On Feb. 4th Officer Tefft was conducting commercial fishing compliance of a commercial fishing vessel offloading summer flounder at the Stonington Town Docks. It is a requirement that the captain of the vessel call into EnCon Dispatch to report their landing and offload. Officer Tefft determined that the captain failed to call in his landing as required and was forty pounds over the legal trip limit. The captain was issued a verbal warning for the violation.
On Feb. 10th Officer Heath received a complaint of an individual shell fishing in a closed area on Short Beach in Stratford. Upon arrival the individual had left the scene but the complainant was till there and provided Officer Heath with the license plate and picture of the vehicle with the person inside. The complainant also stated to Officer Heath that he advised the individual that the area was closed to clamming. Officer Heath ran the license plate and proceeded to the address of which the vehicle was registered. Officer Heath met the individual at his house as he was getting out of his vehicle and saw that he was carrying a basket of clams. The individual admitted to clamming in a closed area and was issued an infraction for the violation.
On February 25th Sergeant Stone observed an individual female illegally shell fishing in Ash Creek in Fairfield. The individual possessed four, five gallon buckets filled with clams and oysters. Sergeant Stone seized all of the shellfish and returned them to the water and issued the female an infraction for shell fishing without a license and shell fishing in a closed area.

Public Safety
On February 23rd Officer Curran responded to an unconscious female at Haley Farm State Park. Upon arrival the female regained consciousness and was complaining of chest pains. EMS arrived on scene and transported the female to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for evaluation.


Public Outreach
On February 26th, Officer Tefft conducted a public outreach at the Franklin Elementary School and discussed the value and importance of the CT EnCon Police and the protection of the State’s Natural Resources.



CT State Encon Police
Western District Highlights
February 2019

ILLEGAL DUMPING

On 2/10/19 while on patrol an Officer located several large piles of trash that were dumped at the Silver Lake State Boat Launch in Berlin. Evidence obtained linked the contents to an employee of a company located in Wallingford. The Officer located the suspect at his place of employment and the individual was issued an infraction for CGS 22a-250(a) and (2) Littering on Public Land.

SICK, INJURED AND NUISANCE WILDLIFE
During the month of February Western District Officers were dispatched and responded to three Nuisance Bear complaints. In addition to Nuisance Bear calls, Officers responded to twelve calls for sick, nuisance or injured wildlife involving bobcats, deer, raccoons, hawks, coyote and fox.

TRAPPING ENFORCEMENT

On 2/4/2019, at approximately 1550 hours, an Officer was dispatched to a trapping incident in Burlington involving a dog which had since died. The Officer spoke with the complainant and was advised that his mother's dog had become caught in a padded foot hold trap, she was unable to free the dog and he along with Sergeant Russell of the Burlington Police Department went to try to help her. They were unable to free the dog so they cut the cable anchoring the foot hold trap to the ground and transported the dog to Roaring Brook Veterinary Clinic. The dog died while under Veterinary care. The Officer conducted a thorough investigation and consulted with the Wildlife division on the definition of a ‘burrow’ which had come into question. Based on the findings of the investigation, the trapper was identified and issued a Misdemeanor Summons for Trapping Private Land without Permission in violation of 26-66-5(e) and Land Trapping of Coyote in Closed Season in violation of 26-66-5(b). Court date of 2/19/2019 for GA 17 Bristol Superior Court.

K-9

During the month of February Officer Flockhart and K-9 Ellie participated in two public outreach events, the Winter Festival at Burr Pond and a Girl Scout event in Southbury. They also responded to two SAR calls for service. One for an autistic seventeen year old male in Simsbury and in Bridgewater for a missing male. On 2/25/19 they conducted an evidence recovery search for a lost handgun in Housatonic State Forest in Cornwall.