Environment DEC
From the September 2006 issue
Klein, Mazurkiewicz and Maloney Named ECOs of 2005
ECOs Mark J. Klein of Sullivan County, Mark Mazurkiewicz of Erie County and Walter Maloney of Saratoga County have each been named the 2005 Environmental Conservation Officer of the Year by different organizations.
Honors were bestowed on ECO Klein by the Mid-Hudson Chapter of the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA); on ECO Mazurkiewicz by the Northeast Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association (NECLECA) and the New York Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), and on ECO Maloney by the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan said, "The Division of Law Enforcement is our first line of contact with the public and our first line of defense in the protection of our state's bountiful natural resources. Dedicated ECOs such as Klein, Mazurkiewicz and Maloney enable DEC to fulfill its mission and carry out its responsibilities."
Mark J. Klein
ECO Klein
During the November 2005 big game season, ECO Klein-a three-year veteran of DEC-received a phone call at his home late one evening from a person who reported that he heard an ATV near his home, followed by the sound of a gunshot and the ATV departing the area.
After an immediate and thorough investigation, ECO Klein arrested an individual who later pled guilty to the unlawful taking of three deer. The man paid $1,250 in fines, and his hunting privileges were revoked for three years.
Mark Mazurkiewicz
A 16-year veteran of DEC, ECO Mazurkiewicz has been involved in many noteworthy and important cases throughout his career, including the arrest of an individual for illegally taking a record-setting whitetail deer during archery season, and illegally taking an eastern timber rattlesnake from Pennsylvania and importing it into New York State.
Other cases have included arrests for alleged timber theft from private property, hunting while license is revoked, illegal burning of industrial waste and unlawful possession of a bobcat. In addition, ECO Mazurkiewicz recently arrested a Buffalo man accused of illegally possessing a 10-foot-long Burmese python.
Walter Maloney
ECO Maloney
ECO Maloney began his career with DEC in 1996 and has donated much of his personal time to assist at various rifle, pistol and shotgun shooting clinics. He has played an important role in providing hunter education and promoting safe firearms usage among sportsmen, women and youth. A statewide committee of New York's ECOs selected Maloney to receive this recognition.
