CT EnCon Police West District Highlights February 2016

HUNTING ENFORCEMENT
On February 8, 2016 while on routine patrol Officer Johnston located a vehicle that possibly was related to illegal waterfowl hunting behind a large retail establishment in the City of Danbury. Officer O'Brien responded to assist. Before confronting the suspects Officers O'Brien and Johnston observed two individuals waterfowl hunting on private property. Upon being confronted the suspects admitted to not having permission to hunt the property. It was also determined that the suspects were firearms hunting within 500' of an occupied building. The two suspects were charged with CGS 53a-109 Criminal Trespass 3rd Degree and RCSA 26-66I(d) Hunting/Carrying a Loaded Firearm within 500' of an Occupied Building. Both suspects were released on a promise to appear with a set court date to appear at GA-3 Danbury. Their firearms were seized in conjunction with the arrest.

MOTOR VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT
On February 18, 2016, while on routine patrol of Bantam Lake in Morris Officer Norton noticed a motor vehicle parked at the Morris Town Boat Launch. The motor vehicle was a red-colored Chevrolet pickup, which was occupied by one individual sitting in the operator's seat. The individual could be seen watching Ice fishermen with binoculars. Located in the bed of the red pickup were multiple ice-fishing tip-ups and other related fishing gear. Officer Norton parked his vehicle near the boat launch at which time the operator started the engine of his vehicle as if to leave the boat launch. At this time Officer Norton conducted a routine registration check of the displayed registration plate on the rear of the vehicle, which came back as stolen. He approached the operator and recognized the individual as someone he had dealt with in a previous incident. Further investigation found the vehicle to be not registered, displaying 2 different number plates. Upon request the operator could only produce an ID card. As a result the registration plates were seized. The operator was issued a Misdemeanor Summons for Improper Use of Marker, 14-147(c), and Theft or Illegal Possession of Number Plate or Sticker 14-147a.

ATV ENFORCEMENT
On 02/28/2016, southwest officers were dispatched to separate incidents involving several motor vehicles operating off-road and a large group of ATV's being operating in the area of Hunters Mountain Road in Naugatuck State Forest. Due to extensive knowledge of the area, southwest officers were able to locate and identify several individuals in motor vehicles offroading at the top of Hunters Mountain Road. They located the ATV operators' staging area off of Breault Road, Beacon Falls. Twelve (12) infractions were issued for both R.C.S.A. 23-4-I(L) - Unauthorized use of trails, roads, or paths, and C.G.S 14-380 - Operation without valid registration. In addition verbal warnings were issued for 14-387(5) - Failure to carry written permission, 53a-110a -Simple trespass, 14-386(b) and Failure to stop at the request of a police officer.

ILLEGAL DUMPING
On 02/22/2016, Officer Hage responded to the report of illegal dumping in the parking area off of Rimmon Road, Naugatuck State Forest, Quillinan Reservoir Block in Ansonia. At that location the officer found approximately 30 flattened cardboards with the name "Wholesale Florist Distributor" and the handwritten name, Farricielli. Officer's Hage and Mihalyak further investigated and determined that the boxes belonged to Farricielli Flowers and Country Store in West Haven. The owner of the business admitted that he had bought the flower boxes prior to Valentine's Day and claimed that he was planning on getting a dumpster to dispose of the cardboard. He said that prior to obtaining the dumpster an unidentified white male, bald, with facial hair, offered to take and dispose of the cardboard for him for a fee of $20.00. The owner could not identify the unknown subject, did not have receipts for the proper removal of the cardboard, and admitted that the cardboard belonged to his business. An infraction was issued for 22a-250(a) (2) Littering on Public Land.

PUBLIC OUTREACH
Four District officers participated in 3 public outreach events during the month including a No Child Left Inside event, the Hartford Hunting and Fishing Show, and a university career opportunity event.

CT EnCon Police Marine District Highlights

Illegal Turtle Possession

On February 10, 2016 Officer Torres and Sergeant Stanko served an arrest warrant on a suspect involved in the possession and sale of spotted turtles. The investigation began in June 2015 when officers were called to a home in Branford and discovered numerous tanks and holding devices for reptiles. The suspect in this case no longer lived in the home but his estranged wife did and knew that selling these turtles was illegal. The suspect was interviewed in October and indicated he had sold Eastern Hog snakes, Box turtles and Spotted Turtles to help him pay for the care and storage of the animals. He also admitted to traveling to Massachusetts to trap them. An arrest warrant was applied for at New Haven Superior Court and was granted. The accused was charged with Illegal import and export of turtles and is scheduled to appear in court on February 18th .

Waterfowl Hunting Arrest

On February 12, 2016 officer Tefft and Bruno were on patrol in the Stonington Harbor area where they both saw the accused shoot at geese and used a kayak to retrieve a bird. The area the hunter shot from is in close proximity to several shoreline homes and further noticed that the individual was not wearing a life jacket while in the kayak as required. The officers made contact with the accused and further located several fired shotgun shells on the beach. Officers suspected the hunter was within 250' of several occupied homes and the investigation confirmed the violation. The accused was charged with waterfowl hunting within 250' of an occupied building without carrying written permission from the landowners, and violation of boating regulations (failure to wear a PFD). He is scheduled to appear in New London Superior court later in the month.

Boating Accident

On Sunday February 28, 2016 officers responded to a report of an overturned boat on Rogers Lake in Old Lyme. Witnesses reported that both of the male occupants were seen clinging to an overturned boat and in need of assistance. Witnesses who live on the lake heard screams for help and quickly responded. The small boat had capsized while the two men had been fishing and neither had been wearing life jackets as required. Both men were treated for hypothermia at area hospitals and were later cited for failure to wear personal floatation devices.

CT EnCon Police Eastern District Highlights

All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Enforcement

On Sunday 2/28/16 Eastern District officers Bouthillier, Danielson, Vroman and Ulkus patrolled various sections of Pachaug State Forest in Sterling and surrounding towns to address on-going illegal ATV use of hiking trails and forest property. Over the course of the day, a total of fifteen (15) individuals from Connecticut and Rhode Island were cited for numerous ATV violations from unregistered operation to trespass and failure to stop for officers. Officer Ulkus attempted to stop several ATVs and was struck by one, which fled the scene. Receiving only minor superficial injuries, Officer Ulkus was able to get the offending operator to return to the scene where he was arrested for interfering with an officer along with other ATV violations. The ATV was seized, pending further court action.