New York State Banner
D E C banner
D E C banner

Report an Environmental Problem

Reports from citizens are vital for effective enforcement of New York's environmental laws. There are 300 Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Investigators in New York State, each patrolling an average of 400 square miles. You can help by reporting every Environmental Conservation Law violation that you observe or suspect.

This webpage outlines the information a citizen should provide when reporting a violation of law. The department provides different ways for citizens to report to DEC.

TIPP DEC is a 24-hour telephone hotline, also referred to as Stop Poachers and Polluters in Their Tracks!. The TIPP phone number is 1-800-TIPP DEC or 1-800-847-7332. It's toll free and DEC keeps the identity of all TIPP callers confidential.

  • Citizens can also report a violation by sending an email to the dispatcher.

    To ensure a prompt response to your complaint, please provide the following information in your email to us:

    • Location - include township and county
    • Date and time of the violation
    • Description of violation (describe what happened)

    The following additional information, if known, will help us complete an investigation:

    • Suspect information, including name, description (age, height, hair color, clothes etc.) and address
    • Vehicle description, including, license plate number, make, model and color
    • If a Conservation Officer may contact you, your name and phone number
  • Contact the ECO responsible for your area. Environmental Conservation Police Officers work out of their homes and patrol an area in most cases about the size of the county in which they are located. Links to the regional ECO rosters are listed in the right hand column of this page. When Environmental Conservation Police Officers are on patrol you may contact them through DEC dispatch by dialing 1-877-457-5680.
  • If you are unable to contact an officer to report a serious on-going crime, call the nearest police department immediately. The New York State Police and some local law enforcement agencies are able to contact Environmental Conservation Officers via their police radios.

More about Report an Environmental Problem: