Press Releases
05/05/2023
DEEP Environmental Conservation Police Celebrate Graduation of the 2023 Ranger Academy
EnCon Ranger Class to Support Visitor Experience in State Parks
(HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) celebrated the graduation ceremony for the 2023 Environmental Conservation Police (EnCon) Ranger graduating class this week. Thirteen recruits successfully completed a 120-hour training academy to become EnCon Rangers.
The revitalized training program, now in its third year, provides great support to DEEP’s EnCon Police and provides the EnCon Rangers with training and experience to prepare them for a future career in law enforcement.
The EnCon Rangers are an extension of the EnCon Police, supporting law enforcement responsibilities in the shoreline state parks – Hammonasset Beach, Rocky Neck, Silver Sands, and Sherwood Island – and in select inland state parks such as Wadsworth Falls, Squantz Pond, and other parks throughout the state.
Rangers are readily identifiable in bright yellow shirts and engage with the public to foster a safe and enjoyable experience for visitors in state parks. They serve in an educational role and can also enforce the laws within the state parks. Each EnCon Ranger can issue infractions for violations of any park regulation or law, as well as aid visitors.
“Congratulations to our newest EnCon Ranger class,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “Our Rangers perform a vital outreach, engagement, and law enforcement role to ensure visitors to our parks have a safe and enjoyable experience. Their presence in the parks is especially helpful given the sustained increase in visitors we’ve seen since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Welcome to the DEEP team! Many thanks to the instructors of the training academy who worked with this year’s Ranger class.”
“EnCon Rangers provide for the safety and security of our park visitors,” said EnCon Police Sergeant Jeffrey Bruno, the training sergeant for the EnCon Ranger Program. “This group bonded during the training academy and I’m excited to see them join nine additional Rangers – six returning Rangers and three current or recently retired police officers – in the program. We are grateful for the support the program, which emphasizes community engagement and service, receives from other state law enforcement agencies.”
DEEP is pleased with the recent success of the EnCon Ranger program in preparing Rangers for a career in law enforcement. To date, EnCon Police have hired three permanent Environmental Conservation Police officers that have come through the EnCon Ranger program. In addition, two EnCon Rangers became emergency dispatchers who provide vital support for officers working in the field. Several others have gone on to work with other state and federal agencies since serving as EnCon Rangers.
DEEP would like to acknowledge the Police Officers Standards Training Council (POSTC) for their continued support of the EnCon Ranger training academy. Training staff from other law enforcement agencies provide vital support during the academy and include the following staff:
- Detective Sergeant Ret. Reilly of POSTC,
- Officer Rinaldi of Greenwich PD,
- Sergeant Mordasiewicz of Hartford PD,
- Officer Spiranza of Bridgport PD,
- Officer Decrosta of Chester PD,
- Master Sergeant Aresco of Connecticut State Police,
- and Director Fasano of POSTC.
Also, our thanks to the support of EnCon Staff, Academy Training Officer Landry, and Academy Drill Sergeant DeFelice.
Follow EnCon on Facebook at Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police- Twitter: @CTDEEPNews
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Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110