Connecticut General Statutes 26-6 – Powers and duties of conservation officers and patrolmen
(a) Conservation officers, special conservation officers and patrolmen appointed by the commissioner under authority of section 26-5, shall enforce the provisions of title 23 and this title and chapters 246, 247, 248, 255 and 268 and regulations adopted pursuant to such titles and chapters and sections 15-180, 22a-250, 22a-381d, subsections (c) and (d) of section 22a-381e, sections 26-192c to 26-192h, inclusive, 29-28, 29-35, 29-38, 53-134, 53-190, 53-191, 53-194, 53-203, 53-204, 53-205, 53a-59 to 53a-64, inclusive, 53a-100 to 53a-117a, inclusive, subsection (b) of section 53a-119b, sections 53a-122 to 53a-125, inclusive, 53a-130, 53a-133 to 53a-136, inclusive, 53a-147 to 53a-149, inclusive, 53a-157b, 53a-165 to 53a-167c, inclusive, 53a-171, 53a-181 to 53a-183a, inclusive, 54-33d and 54-33e.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 26-6
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
- Quadruped: means any four-legged animal which is ferae naturae or wild by nature, although such animal may be enclosed and considered a pet or semidomesticated, but shall exclude purely domesticated animals. See Connecticut General Statutes 26-1
- Wildlife: means all species of invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals which are ferae naturae or wild by nature. See Connecticut General Statutes 26-1
(b) Conservation officers, special conservation officers and patrolmen may, without warrant, arrest any person for any violation of any of the provisions set forth in subsection (a) of this section, and any full-time conservation officer shall, in the performance of his duties in any part of the state, have the same powers to enforce such laws as do policemen or constables in their respective jurisdictions. Any full-time conservation officer shall, incident to a lawful arrest while enforcing such laws in the performance of his duties in any part of the state, have the same powers with respect to criminal matters and the enforcement of the law relating thereto as policemen or constables have in their respective jurisdictions.
(c) Any conservation officer, special conservation officer or patrolman may, anywhere within the boundaries of the state, examine the contents of any boat, ship, automobile or other vehicle, box, locker, basket, creel, crate, game bag or game coat or other package in which he has probable cause to believe that any fish, crustacean, bird or quadruped is being kept, in violation of any said statutory provisions or any regulation issued by the commissioner, or any regulation issued by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as provided by section 26-91, and to ascertain whether any provision of any law or any regulation for the protection of any fish, crustacean, bird or quadruped has been or is being violated, and shall have the same authority as police officers to obtain and execute search warrants as provided for in sections 54-33a, 54-33b and 54-33c.
(d) Any conservation officer, special conservation officer or patrolman may be appointed a special policeman under the provisions of section 29-18.
(e) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection is authorized to assign one or more conservation officers to patrol and inspect the buildings, lands and waters owned by The White Memorial Foundation, Incorporated, located in the towns of Litchfield and Morris and, in addition to their powers as conservation officers, such officers may be appointed special policemen under the provisions of section 29-18.
(f) Each conservation officer, special conservation officer or patrolman shall be sworn to the faithful performance of his duties.