MARINE District Highlights

BOAT ACCIDENT
On November 8, 2015 Marine District Officers responded to a boating accident on the Connecticut River in Old Lyme. It was reported that a sailboat had collided with the draw bridge causing damage to the vessel's mast. Due to the collision, bridge inspectors were called in to the scene to inspect the bridge for structural damage. This caused train services to be delayed. The vessels owner stated that he was trying to get the boat up river at which time the accident occurred. EnCon officers, with the assistance of Amtrak Police, interviewed witnesses and the bridge operator. The operator of the forty one foot sailing vessel was issued an infraction for Reckless Boating 2 nd Degree.

COMMERCIAL FISHING VIOLATION
On November 14, 2015 Officers from the East Marine Sector were performing inspections of commercial fishing vessels in the port of New London. During the offload of the F/V Provider officers saw a large quantity of Scup. The commercial possession limit for Scup is set at 18,000 pounds. After hours of observing the offload of fish, the weight of scup landed was 18,540 pounds. The excess Scup (540 lbs/9 boxes) was seized and sold to a local seafood dealer. The vessel captain was issued a written warning for the violation.

LOBSTER FISHING ARREST
On November 28, 2015 Officer Bruno received a complaint of an individual hauling lobster traps near Stonington Harbor. The lobster season has been closed since September 2015, which means no person shall possess lobsters until the season opens. Upon investigation Officer Bruno located the suspect at the Barn Island Boat Launch. The individual was found to be in possession of 8 lobsters which he took from his lobster traps that day. The lobsters were seized as evidence and returned to the waters for conservation purposes. The suspect was charged with lobstering during the closed season and is scheduled to appear in GAIO New London.

MISSING CHILD
On November 29, 2015 Officers from the Marine District responded to assist the Montville Police Department with a report of a missing 7 year old Autistic child. State Police and EnCon Police 1<-9 units assisted with the search on nearby private property which included a small pond and a wooded area. The temperature was forecast to drop below freezing that evening and the missing child was not wearing appropriate clothing. After a brief period of time, a neighbor had reported seeing the child in the yard of his property. Officers quickly responded and located the child unharmed.


Western District Highlights
DEER HUNTING
On 11/7/15, opening day of Junior Deer Hunting, a father and daughter were hunting on the Bristol Water Co. property where they saw an individual archery hunting, which is illegal. A minor verbal altercation ensued between the father and the male. The father and daughter left the area and immediately contacted the EnCon Police. Officer Yescott responded and located two males archery hunting on adjacent private property. Upon further investigation Officer Yescott determined that one individual had been illegally hunting the Water Co. property earlier, and both suspect's paperwork was not in compliance. Both individuals were charged with 26-86a-5(a) Hunting Archery Deer without Written Consent, and one was also charged with Illegal Deer Hunting on Water Co. property. Both were issued Misdemeanor Summonses to appear at GA18 Bantam, with the option of $100.00 Bond Forfeiture.

On 11/20/15, Officer Hage was on patrol in Naugatuck State Forest when he heard a gunshot on Hunter's Mountain Road. Upon investigation Officer Hage made contact with an individual who stated he fired the shot and had missed a doe in the process. Upon investigation Officer Hage and Sergeant Buckley found the male to be hunting with a permit out of season and had shot towards the road. The slug fortunately stopped just a few yards prior to the road by a tree. The male was issued a Misdemeanor Summons for C.G.S 26-86a-2(b) Hunting with Permit Not Valid for Season and issued verbal warnings for C.G.S. 53a-217(e) Negligent Hunting 4th and C.G.S. 26-66-l(e) Discharging firearm within Range of Roadway. The accused was released on a written promise to appear.

On 11/25/15 Officers Norton, Crossman and Sergeant Begley responded to a complaint of illegal hunting that was occurring on Stonehouse Rd in Sharon. The complainant reported that while hunting on property adjacent to the Sharon Land Trust, he saw two individuals walking across the corn field. One individual was reported to be wearing full camouflage and no visual fluorescent orange as required by state regulations and the second individual was seen wearing "normal day attire." The complainant reported seeing the two individuals walk across the field and into the woods, where the individual in full camouflage settled into a tree stand, and was left in the woods by the second individual. Once on scene, responding officers patrolled the wooded area in question. Across the corn field, Sergeant Begley made contact with an individual that was stationed in the tree stand, wearing full camouflage and no fluorescent orange. The suspect was escorted to Officer Norton's vehicle, where he stated that he was driven to the property early in the morning after being told that the other individual had permission to hunt the property. He stated the other male told him to stay stationed in the tree stand, and he would be back after dark to pick him up. The individual was issued a Misdemeanor Summons for Deer Hunting without Written Consent, 26-86a-5(b), Hunting without Fluorescent Orange, 26-86a-7, and was assigned a court date of at GA 18 Bantam.

On 11/26/15, Thanksgiving Day, Officer Johnston was on routine patrol in an area within the City of Danbury where historically trespassing and illegal deer hunting has taken place in the past. While patrolling he located a male who was deer hunting with a rifle on land that was owned by the City of Danbury. The suspect could not produce written consent. The suspect was arrested for CGS 26-86a-5(b)Deer Firearms Hunting on Private Land without Written Consent. The suspect's rifle was seized in conjunction with the arrest,

ATV ENFORCEMENT
On 11/15/2015 Southwest officers were dispatched to Reservoir #4 within Naugatuck State
Forest, for the report of ATVs/ Dirt Bikes riding the trails. Officers located approximately 4 to 5 ATVs/ Dirt Bikes in the near Cold Spring Rd. and [opus Rd. (Beacon Falls). The ATVs took off in separate directions and eluded Officers. Shortly after, officers located 3 dirt bikes off Gruber Rd. inside the O&G Quarry. The dirt bikes inside the quarry were found to be unrelated to the ATVs that evaded officers earlier. The three individuals were issued infractions for C.G.S. 53a 110a- Simples Trespass. They were also issued verbal warnings for 14-380- Failure to Register and 14-387(5)*- Failure to Carry Written Permission to Operate.

On 11/22/2015 Southwest officers conducted proactive ATV Enforcement of Naugatuck State Forest (Beacon Falls and Naugatuck) in response to several complaints of ATVs and dirt bikes operating on the trails inside the State Forest. Officers located an area off of Breault Rd. Beacon Falls where they believed the ATVs and dirt bikes were accessing via Lopus Rd. and Cold Springs Rd. Numerous trucks with ATVs and dirt bikes loaded were observed entering into the private property which was clearly posted "No Trespassing" and were off-loading. Officers moved into the area and found several unoccupied trucks parked inside an abandoned quarry.
The operation resulted in 9 individuals being issued infractions for violation of C.G.S. 14380(5)*- Failure to Carry Written Permission to Operate. The cited individuals were also issued verbal warnings for C,G.S. 14-380- Failure to Register, and C.G.S. 53a-109- Criminal Trespass 3 rd

Eastern District Highlights
Eastern District EnCon officers remained busy patrolling, responding to, and investigating complaints of illegal hunting, ATV activity, and other criminal investigations throughout the month of November. This included:
22 illegal ATV violations (trespass on state lands, unregistered vehicle, etc.)
Over 20 hunting violations/arrests, including Hunting without License / Permits,
Hunting Deer with Bait, Hunting without Permission (Trespass), Hunting with Firearms in Archery-only area, and Hunting Deer with firearms without required Orange, Permitting junior firearms hunting without supervision, using bait, A medical assist to a hunter with a broken lower leg, Trespass / license violations by a hunter permitted to hunt in Massachusetts but accessing through / hunting adjacent CT private property.

THANKSGIVING DAY INCIDENTS

On the afternoon of Wednesday, 11/25/15, over fifteen EnCon Police officers, supervisors and Hunting Related Shooting Incident (HRSI) unit members responded with numerous State Police and Colchester Police officers to an initial report of shots fired by opposing parties, involving hunters and ATVs. The incident was eventually determined to involve a 14 year old male operating an ATV receiving a bird-shot pellet wound to his leg, in Salmon River State Forest adjacent to the Larsen Lot Wildlife Management Area, Colchester. Officers saturated the area and interviewed / checked many hunters until well after dark, with no suspects identified. A delay in time from the incident occurrence to its initial reporting to authorities, as well as varying suspect descriptions, may account for the lack of suspect identification. EnCon Police continue to investigate.

Early on Thanksgiving morning, 11/26/15, Officers Pettus and Scatena were conducting surveillance for jacklighting activity in Eastford following previous complaints of illegal activity. They observed a Massachusetts pickup truck pass them, use a spotlight on a roadside field, then turn around to shine the field again. After stopping the vehicle and detaining the two male occupants, a loaded .30 caliber rifle was found alongside the passenger door; two (2) other loaded rifles were in the vehicle cab as well as a loaded pistol under the driver's seat.
Another rifle and shotgun (unloaded) were in the vehicle, along with 3 spotlights (all seized as evidence). The 41 and 46 year old Massachusetts residents stated that they were just looking for deer before meeting others to hunt. The two men were arrested for jacklighting, negligent hunting, motor vehicle weapons violations (3 loaded rifles and the loaded handgun), and other hunting violations. Both were held processed at the Danielson State Police barracks and held on $10,000 cash bonds.

On Saturday afternoon, 11/28/15, EnCon Police received a report from an East Hampton hunter who had found a human skull in Salmon River State Forest, Colchester. Officers Arsenault, Ruggiero, Sergeant Wolfe and Captain Lundin initially responded to the area and confirmed the location of the human remains and articles. EnCon officers secured the area off part of the Airline Trail State Linear Park in East Hampton, and notified the State Police Major Crime Division to assist in the investigation. The on-site investigation was completed the next day, and the remains have since been identified as a 60 year old Deep River man who was reported missing in May 2013. St