For Release: Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Schuyler County ECO Named Officer of the Year
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan announced today that Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Michael J. Brazauskas has been named the 2005 Environmental Conservation Officer of the Year by the Shikar-Safari Club International.
The Shikar-Safari Club International was founded in 1952 by an international group of hunters interested in exchanging ideas about the sport. Each year the club sponsors an award for the Wildlife Officer of the Year in all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces and the territories of both nations. In 1966, the Shikar-Safari International Foundation was formed to support various wildlife conservation projects with funds raised by club members.
Shikar-Safari Club International, a worldwide conservation organization, recognizes one Environmental Conservation Officer each year, acknowledging the important part ECOs play in local, national, and international wildlife conservation.
ECO Brazauskus, a 23 - year veteran of the DEC's Division of Law Enforcement (DLE), was praised by Commissioner Sheehan for his long career of outstanding service. "ECO Brazauskas is an excellent choice for this award," the Commissioner said. "He has continued to enthusiastically pursue his duties as the responsibilities of the job have continued to expand and change throughout his career."
After graduating from the University of Massachusetts with a BS in Wildlife Biology, ECO Brazauskus began his career in conservation law enforcement as a Deputy Natural Resources Officer with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. He joined the DEC as an Environmental Conservation Officer in April, 1982. After completing the DEC Training Academy, ECO Brazauskas was first assigned to New York's Great South Bay area in Region 1 on Long Island. In 1984 he transferred to Wayne County in Region 8, and in 1986 he transferred to Schuyler County in Region 8, where he works today.
Throughout his career, ECO Brazauskas has been known as a dedicated, professional, and hard working officer who has gained the respect of his peers, the public, and often even those who he arrests. He has gained a reputation for his investigative skills, never content to take the easy way out or be satisfied with what appears on the surface. His tenacious nature, contacts with the public and other police agencies, and intimate knowledge of his patrol sector, all combine to enable him to solve and make arrests for serious crimes committed against New York's natural resources.
ECO Brazauskas has a special tool possessed by only a select few of New York's ECOs - K9 Jazz. In 1992, he was selected as a Division of Law Enforcement K9 handler. First assigned K9 Joe, ECO Brazauskas is now working with his second dog, K9 Jazz. K9 teams bring a special dimension to the area of conservation law enforcement. The K9 teams are regularly called upon to assist fellow ECOs and other law enforcement agencies in a variety of tasks. Such tasks include wildlife evidence detection, crime scene investigation, fugitive searches, missing person searches, search warrant execution, officer protection, public relations, and youth conservation education, to name a few.
ECO Brazauskas and K9 Jazz have gained a reputation among fellow ECOs and other police agencies as a dependable and welcome tool for dealing with a variety of law enforcement tasks. Mike's wealth of experience and dedication to the K9 program has resulted in his becoming an instructor in DEC's K9 handler training courses. ECO Brazauskus and his K9 partners have also been an invaluable tool in spreading the word about the important tasks that face the DEC and the Division of Law Enforcement in protecting our state's bountiful natural resources. Over the nearly 14 years that Mike has been part of a K9 team, thousands of citizens have witnessed demonstrations and presentations made by the team.
Commissioner Sheehan added, "In this, the 125th year anniversary of New York State's oldest statewide law enforcement agency, I cannot think of another officer more deserving of this award. The Division of Law Enforcement is our first line of contact with the public, and the first line of defense that the DEC has in dealing with the environmental issues that face us. Dedicated officers of the caliber of ECO Brazauskas insure that we can continue to successfully carry out our mission and responsibilities."
ECO Michael Brazauskas lives in the Town of Hector in Schuyler County with his wife Ellen, his daughters Sarah and Laura and K9 Lasar.
