Sec. 26-5. Appointment of conservation officers, special conservation officers and patrolmen.
Sec. 26-5. Appointment of conservation officers, special conservation officers
and patrolmen. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall appoint such
number of conservation officers as may be necessary for the efficient execution of the
duties of the department under section 26-6. The commissioner may supplement the
regular conservation officer force by appointing as special conservation officer any
employee of the department or any sworn federal law enforcement officer of the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service, provided such
federal officer shall not be considered an employee of the state and may only exercise
such officer's authority pursuant to section 26-6 when working with a full-time conservation officer. The commissioner may also appoint any lake patrolman as a special
conservation officer solely for the purpose of enforcing boating laws within such patrolman's jurisdiction, provided such patrolman shall not be considered an employee of the
state, and further provided that such patrolman has completed a police training course
at the state police training school or an equivalent course approved by the Commissioner
of Public Safety. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, no such lake patrolman
shall carry a firearm while in the performance of his or her duties as a special conservation
officer unless the board of selectmen of the town or towns in which the lake on which
the lake patrolman serves is located approves such carrying of a firearm, or in the case
of any town having no board of selectmen, the lake patrolman obtains the approval of
the legislative body of such town or towns in which the lake is located. Each conservation
officer or special conservation officer shall complete a police training course at the state
police training school or an equivalent course approved by the Commissioner of Public
Safety. Special conservation officers who are employees of the department shall be
entitled to the same benefits to which conservation officers are entitled under the provisions of section 5-142; and such an appointment shall be deemed not to be in conflict with
any of the provisions of chapter 67. In addition to their salaries, conservation officers and
special conservation officers who are employees of the department shall be reimbursed
for all expenses incurred in performance of official duty.
(1949 Rev., S. 4865; 1953, 1955, S. 2457d; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 210; P.A. 74-245, S. 1; P.A. 77-614, S. 486, 610; P.A.
81-227, S. 4; P.A. 06-70, S. 1; 06-76, S. 30.)
History: 1971 act replaced references to board of fisheries and game and its director with references to commissioner
and department of environmental protection; P.A. 74-245 referred to department's duties under Sec. 26-6 rather than under
entire title, authorized appointment of patrolmen who complete a police training course and deleted provision which had
allowed appointment of caretakers or watchmen at state parks, game refuges, etc. as special officers or patrolmen; P.A.
77-614 replaced state police commissioner with commissioner of public safety, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 81-227
required conservation officers, special conservation officers, and patrolmen to complete police training courses; P.A. 06-70 and 06-76 both added identical provisions re appointment of sworn federal law enforcement officers of U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service and lake patrolmen as special conservation officers, and P.A. 06-76 also added provision prohibiting lake patrolmen from carrying a firearm unless approved by board of selectmen or
legislative body, both effective May 30, 2006.