For Release: Thursday, August 17, 2006
Erie County ECO Named Officer of the Year
Mark Mazurkiewicz Receives 2005 Northeast Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association and National Wild Turkey Federation Law Enforcement Awards
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced that Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Mark Mazurkiewicz, has been named the 2005 Officer of the Year by the Northeast Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association (NECLECA) and by the New York Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF).
"Throughout his career, ECO Mazurkiewicz has placed public service and public education as his top goals. He has gained the respect of his peers and the public as a tenacious investigator, and a fair but firm officer," said Commissioner Sheehan. "Mark is a valued member of the our environmental law enforcement team and on behalf of the entire Department, I extend congratulations to him for these well deserved honors."
A 16-year veteran of the Department's Division of Law Enforcement, ECO Mazurkiewicz served in the United States Army as an avionics mechanic with the 123rd Maintenance Batallion and was stationed in Germany. He began his law enforcement career with the Erie County Sheriff's Department in 1972. After completing the Environmental Conservation Law Enforcement Officers Basic Academy, he was first assigned as an ECO in Rockland County in 1989, and transferred back home to Erie County in 1992 where he is currently assigned.
Erie County is a unique area for an ECO to work. Having a population of nearly one million residents, a large land area which borders Lake Erie and the Niagara River, an international border of 30 miles, a large industrial base, and annually being the statewide leader in hunting and fishing license sales, Erie County provides a bounty of challenges and opportunities for DEC law enforcement officers. Reflecting DEC's ever changing and expanding role in natural resource and environmental protection, Mark has always maintained a diverse and busy caseload, both in environmental protection and the traditional fish and wildlife enforcement arenas.
Mark has been involved in many noteworthy and important cases throughout his career including: the arrest of an individual for illegally taking a record-setting size whitetail deer during archery season, and the illegal taking and importation of an eastern timber rattlesnake, a threatened species, which was taken in Pennsylvania and imported into New York State. In addition, ECO Mazurkiewicz recently made an arrest of a Buffalo man with the alleged illegal possession of a 10-foot long Burmese python. Other cases include arrests for alleged timber theft from private property, hunting while license is revoked, the illegal burning of industrial waste, and the unlawful possession of a bobcat.
In recognition of his many years of outstanding service, the Erie County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs recognized Mark as its 2003 DEC Officer of the Year. The Erie County Sportsmen cited Mark's participation in hunter education training, participation in many youth fishing clinics, and his involvement in their pheasant rearing program as a few of the many activities that he provides assistance with.
Commissioner Sheehans 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 officers, such as ECO Mark Mazurkiewicz, insure that the Department can continue to carry out it's mission and responsibilities."
ECO Mazurkiewicz and his wife Gloria live in Holland, New York. They are the parents of two grown children, James and Jennifer.
The Northeast Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association is an association of Conservation Law Enforcement agencies from thirteen states. Each year one officer from each jurisdiction is selected to represent his/her state at NECLECA's annual convention. This year the 62nd annual convention was held in Virginia in April.
The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is a more than half-million member grassroots, nonprofit organization with members in 50 states, Canada and 11 foreign countries. It supports scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands as well as wild turkey hunting as a traditional North American sport.
