(a) The chief executive authority of any town, city or borough, with the consent and approval of the police commission of such town, city or borough, if any, otherwise the chief of police, if any, may appoint and administer the oath of office to special officers to be known as constables for fish and game protection, whose duties shall be limited to the enforcement, in the municipality of their appointment, of state and local fish and game laws and regulations issued by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, any local ordinance relating to hunting, fishing and trapping and any provision of section 53-205 or 53a-109. Before entering upon the duties of their office, such officers shall post any bond which may be required for constables by such town, city or borough. Any person so appointed shall serve without compensation and shall be subject to such rules and regulations governing conduct as such chief executive authority deems necessary. Each such officer shall, within twenty-four hours, report all arrests made by him to the chief executive authority or a person designated by such authority. Such authority or the person so designated shall, within twenty-four hours thereafter, report such arrests to a district supervisor or conservation officer of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. All such constables for fish and game protection shall perform their duties under the supervision of, and be responsible to, such chief executive authority. Any such officer may be removed from office at any time by such authority or the chief of police upon approval of a majority of the police commission, if any. The commissioner shall cooperate with local officials in the instruction of such special officers and shall formulate and conduct a training seminar once annually for constables appointed pursuant to this section, which seminar shall be completed by any such constable prior to entering upon the duties of his office.
(b) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall request that the chief executive authority of a town, city or borough appoint constables pursuant to subsection (a) of this section when the commissioner has received written reports of violations in such town, city or borough of the regulations for hunting in proximity to buildings occupied by persons or domestic animals or used for storage of flammable or combustible materials or the regulations for shooting towards persons, buildings or animals.
(1959, P.A. 150; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 102; 872, S. 212; P.A. 82-327, S. 11; P.A. 91-378, S. 6; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)
History: 1971 acts replaced reference to Secs. 53-108, 53-118 and 53-123 with reference to Secs. 53-205 and 53a-109 and replaced references to board of fisheries and game with references to commissioner and department of environmental protection; P.A. 82-327 removed the reference to a mandatory bond, which was no longer required by statute; P.A. 91-378 amended Subsec. (a) to provide for training seminars for constables and added a new Subsec. (b) concerning request by commissioner for appointment of constable; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” and “Department of Environmental Protection” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” and “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011.