14 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • May/June 2015 PFBC Facebook: PaFishandBoat14

Serving warrants As a Waterways Conservation

Officer (WCO), one of our duties is serving arrest warrants for people who have failed to respond to charges brought against them or who have failed to satisfy their obligations to the courts after being found guilty or pleading guilty to charges. One winter day, WCO Thompson and I were serving warrants together, and one of the individuals had a balance due to the court after pleading guilty. Our mission for that day was to collect the remaining balance or take the individual into custody and bring him before the judge. This individual was known to both of us through previous encounters and arrest warrants. Though we were rarely able to contact this person at home, we knew he worked at a local distribution warehouse for a home improvement store. Typically, we would go to his work and arrest him, a situation his boss was not real fond of since it meant removing the individual from work. Normally, there is a closed gate at his work location, and we would need to access the property through a crossbuck type gate after being buzzed in by security. This day, however, the cross buck was in the up position. When we attempted to use the intercom, we got no response. So, we parked in the lot and entered into the lobby. We spoke with the gentleman’s boss, who immediately recognized us, and knew why we were there that day. Upon leaving, the boss asked us, “How did you guys get in here anyway?” I informed him that the gate was in the open position and that the intercom did not work. It was difficult to hold back a smile, as he just shook his head and mumbled, “We gotta get that gate fixed.”—WCO Aaron Lupacchini, Southern Luzerne and Southern Columbia counties.

Canoe joyrideOne afternoon, DWCO Ammon

and I pulled our patrol boat to the shoreline. While eating lunch, we noticed a canoe making its way across the river towards us. DWCO Ammon made the comment, “I bet they don’t have life jackets.” We continued to eat our lunch as they pulled in alongside us. Looking inside the canoe we noticed that in fact they didn’t have any life jackets onboard. But, that’s not the best part of the story. It turns out that these guys happened upon the canoe and decided that they were going to take it for a joyride without the owner’s permission. I still find it comical that this duo decided to steal a canoe and pull up to law enforcement officers just to shoot the breeze. They left without the canoe but picked up a court date for their actions.—WCO Jeremiah D. Allen, Beaver County.

Ice safetyWhile patrolling Shawnee Lake,

Bedford County, in February, I was looking for ice anglers when I noticed a vehicle parked in the Colvin Lot. As I parked, I saw an adult male wearing ice skates and pushing a puck around the ice with a hockey stick. This activity is not uncommon on the lake, but much to my surprise, the hockey player was actually wearing a life jacket. I was impressed with his way of thinking by putting safety first while engaging in this activity. Everyone who ventures out on the ice, whether it be for ice fishing, skating, walking or other activities should wear a United States Coast Guard approved life jacket, along with a pair of ice awls or spikes. Ice conditions can be so variable; it pays to put safety first. Visit the Commission’s website at www.fishandboat.com for additional information on ice safety.—WCO Terrance L. Kane, Bedford and Western Fulton counties.

Isn’t that a daisy?In each district, there is at least one

spot that continually draws the wrong crowd—a place where no amount of policing ever seems to dent the thickheaded attitude of those who abuse rather than use. One of ours was located adjacent to both an outdated rail line and isolated approved trout water. Since long before my time, I mean on Earth not just on the job, this spot drew the crème de la crème of vagabonds and riff-raff. So, naturally, when I returned home, we decided it was time to do some house cleaning. For years, wrongdoings came with the ease of picking daisies. We hit the trouble spots without regard to day of week, and they didn’t know if we’d show up at noon, midnight or both. Sure, there was an ebb and flow, but, despite the constant collecting, our flowers always returned. Then, we began to notice that we were talking to families rather than felons in the daytime at first and then, at night, too. Signage that we placed remained, rather than being used as tinder for fires. The ground around the tents was being cleaned and raked, rather than littered with cans and party remnants. Placed outside those tents, we began to find tricycles and sand toys, rather than kegs and spent casings. To be sure, voluntary compliance is the goal of my job, however, I still have to work 40 hours a week. When this hotspot, as well as numerous others within the district, began to dry-up, patrols took on all the tangible charm of finding Bigfoot. So, we changed our tactics. Perhaps, we weren’t as unpredictable as we thought. Simply, they had adjusted to us. Weeks came and went with little change—then months. Yet, we kept shaking things up and turning them upside down. Very early one Sunday morning, we walked in to have a listen, and we clearly heard music as we stood beside the old grade. Like a hundred times before, our wayward travelers had

PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • May/June 2015 15

simply passed out after a hard night and left the radio playing. Entering the flats where the tents could always be found, we discovered nothing. Yet, the music kept on. Beside the creek, that’s where they were located. Onward we went. Then it happened, we reached the creek and, sure enough, there they were— a local church group, joyfully conducting a sunrise service and performing baptisms. The music was an acoustic guitar being used to assist with the selected hymns. We conducted introductions, wished them good tidings and politely excused ourselves. Obviously, at this point, I felt as though my cynicism knew no bounds. With ministers now replacing miscreants, it appears, at least for the near future, that we’ve reached the end of the line for this bygone Babylon. However, time has taught that crime really isn’t stopped, just moved. I carry on and continue to turn over rocks.—WCO Mark T. Kerr, Venango County.

Truer words were never spoken

I checked two kayaks on a local lake and found that neither possessed the required life jackets for either of the occupants. Both kayakers were told that they would be receiving citations for their violations. Upon receiving her citation, one of the boaters noted the amount of the fine and asked the average price for a life jacket. When I told her, she replied, “Gee, you could buy a whole box of life jackets for the cost of this citation.” She was correct, and I have yet to fine anyone for having too many life jackets.—Sergeant David R. Keller, Southcentral Region.

Is a kayak a boat?When checking for compliance of

life jackets on two kayakers floating down the Susquehanna River at Middletown, the one lady looked at me with a puzzled face and replied, “I thought you only needed those on boats.”—WCO Douglas L. Deppen, Lebanon and Southern Dauphin counties.

I got caught wearing my life jacket!

Last summer, PPL at Lake Wallenpaupack, Pike and Wayne counties, and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission sponsored a program that distributed t-shirts to youth who were boating and wearing their life jackets. The shirt’s message was “I got caught wearing my life jacket!” The program was very successful and rewarding for both the boating public and the Waterways Conservation Officers on the lake. It not only was a good idea to encourage youth to wear their life jackets, but it also showed youth and adults that we, as law enforcement officers, are not something to fear. The look on the young faces when they received a free t-shirt for wearing their life jackets was priceless. During one instance when Sergeant Bendock and I were patrolling Martin’s Cove, we noticed a pontoon boat full of youth that kept watching and waving to us from a distance. As we made our way around the cove and closer to the boat, all ten of the youth were proudly standing at the edge of the railing wearing their life jackets and smiling from ear to ear just waiting to get their reward.—WCO Robert A. Plumb, Northern Wallenpaupack.

Smart dogThe day began with torrential

downpours throughout the county. The skies were still threatening rainfall when I encountered a female in a kayak at a local impoundment. She did not have a life jacket onboard. Her eleven-year-old son was in another kayak and was not wearing a life jacket as required. In addition, he did not possess a life jacket. However, a small dog sitting on the mother’s lap did have its life jacket on. The mother received two citations.—WCO Albert P. Colian Jr., Cambria County.

Buried treasureWhile on foot patrol along the

Stonycreek River, I observed two people out on a rock in the middle of the river drinking from plastic bottles. I decided to ensure that the empty bottles did not remain behind. The drinks were consumed, and the two

people carried them back to shore where their all-terrain vehicle was parked. The one person opened his backpack and decided that the empty plastic containers did not belong. Then, he bent over and dug a hole in the sand and buried the two plastic bottles and covered them up much like a dog would bury a bone. Shortly thereafter, I approached the two individuals and made small talk. Then, I asked them about the plastic drink bottles. The one person told me they were in his backpack, and the other person took a few steps away and stood over the spot where the bottles remained buried. I told the person with the backpack to show me the empty bottles. He searched for a long time in the backpack before I finally told him that he would have better luck digging in the sand where his companion stood nervously. Needless to say, the bottles were dug up from beneath the sand, both individuals carried home a citation, and I carried out the two empty plastic bottles as evidence.—WCO Patrick W. Ferko, Northern Somerset County.

Tragedy avertedWorking in the law enforcement

office involves daily interaction with the public. Occasionally, we get phone calls that rise above the routine and venture into the world of oddity and amusement. Linda Emel, Northcentral Region Seasonal Clerk Typist, took one of these calls. A gentleman called to lodge a complaint regarding our automated licensing system. Due to the way the software is programmed, when this man attempted to buy his license, it would only sell him a senior license based on his date of birth. Normally, this isn’t an issue. In fact, for many anglers, the reduced cost of a senior license is often a welcomed change after years of paying full price. For this caller, however, the presence of the letter “S” on his license broadcasted the fact that he was a senior citizen. He was indignant when he informed Linda that he looks at least ten years younger, and he didn’t want to advertise the fact that he was over 65. Luckily, tragedy was averted when he found out that he could purchase and display a license button and keep his license in his wallet.—Captain Gerald B. Barton, Northcentral Region.