Report details conditions where woman found living with decomposed mother; neighbors not surprised

FORT MYERS — When Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy James Didio went to Gail Andrews’ Fort Myers home to check her wellbeing early this month, deputies smelled the strong odor of urine and rotting food.

“We could smell this all the way to the road,” Didio wrote in his report about the June 4 check on St. Andrews Circle. “I approached the house and looked in the open front window to see a house full of trash. Crawling over the trash were rats and mice that jumped when I shined my light.”

Trash was strewn all over the bedroom and Didio spotted Andrews, who explained she’d been cleaning. Asked if she lived alone, she said her father had died 10 years ago — and her mother had moved back to Connecticut.

It took more than a week — and a search warrant — for investigators to dig through the trash and find her mother’s skeleton Friday.

And so began an investigation into a bizarre case of a daughter keeping her mother’s death a secret for more than a year. Neighbors weren’t surprised.

“We didn’t know for sure, but we all suspected she died in there,” said Peggy Ward, who last saw Gladys Andrews 10 years ago, while another neighbor saw her five years ago. “She always talked like her mother was alive.”

Tina DeVecchis said she’d complained for two decades, reporting garbage, rats, junk cars, screaming raccoons, caged cats, and foul odors.

“When people call Code Enforcement and they do nothing for 20 years, they could have prevented this problem,” DeVeccchis said. “The rats were huge. She left her mother on the floor. They ate her mother.”

Now, the county medical examiner and a forensic anthropologist are working to confirm the skeleton is Gladys Andrews, who would have been 88 if alive, and how long she's been dead.

“We are still investigating, but we don’t believe foul play was involved,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesman John Sheehan.

Andrews told the News-Press her mother died 14 months ago and the home was in bad shape, she didn’t want to lose it, so she didn’t report it.

On Tuesday, the Lee County Community Development Department slapped a sign on the home, “Unsafe building,” and deputies escorted Gail Andrews inside to get a few belongings.

The sign begins a 60-day process for Andrews to dispute condemnation proceedings. With yellow crime-scene tape still up, code enforcement officers still haven’t been allowed inside.

“The vermin and garbage were enough to deem it unsafe,” said Community Development Spokeswoman Joan LaGuardia, adding that tarps covered the roof. “Legally, we can’t keep her out of it.”

Property records show the two-bedroom, one-bathroom home purchased in 1974 was placed in both Gail and Gladys Andrewses’ names after her father, Andrew John Andrews, died Jan. 25, 1999, at 83.

The sheriff’s report says trash reached 2-feet high, the floor wasn’t visible, and healthy cats were caged.

“I counted at least 10 to 15 full-grown rats in the living room and could hear them in the bedrooms,” Didio wrote. “The walls and trash were covered with roaches and bugs. Some of the roaches were more than an inch long. They were even coming out of the A/C vents.”

At least since 2001, Andrews has been cited for code violations.

“Two times we had to go out there and clean up accumulated trash,” LaGuardia said. “But she would not permit access to the inside.”

Without probable cause, belief that a crime occurred, LaGuardia said a property owner can prohibit anyone from coming inside.

“It’s not uncommon with an eccentric owner for an outside to appear manageable and an inside to be a mystery,” LaGuardia said, adding, however, “There’s never been a case with a dead body. That’s what makes this case remarkable.”

“She will have to improve the safety conditions,” LaGuardia said, adding, however, that Andrews conceded she doesn’t have the money to save her home.

Ward said deputies said the ceilings had caved in and wires hung down. “She told me she nearly froze in the winter because it was so cold and once it got hot, she said she couldn’t do anything,” Ward said.

Ward agreed Andrews wasn’t “mainstream,” but called the former Lee County teacher intelligent, articulate, an animal lover who had little money from her pension check but gave Ward’s grandchildren small gifts for Christmas and Easter.

However, her love for animals extended to the stray cats and rats she fed. She admitted 10 dead cats found inside were accumulated over many years. “She said she didn’t have the money to cremate them or dispose of them properly and didn’t want to throw them out with the trash,” Ward said.

After Andrews allowed DCF investigators inside Friday, she was committed to the Ruth Cooper Center. Before her release Monday, she called Ward, who paid for a $16 taxi ride home. But due to neighbors’ contentious relationship over the odors, rats and garbage, her family didn’t want Andrews staying there.

She begged for a pillow, a flashlight and a hose to wash. “She slept in my grandson’s fort,” Ward said, adding that she gave the vegetarian food and let her inside for breakfast.

She’s since moved to a neighbor’s home; that neighbor couldn’t be reached for comment.

“She’s had it rough,” Ward said of Andrews leaving her job to care for her father and her mother becoming bedridden after falling a week later. “You’d have to be a hard-hearted person not to have sympathy for her.”

DCF officials referred her to other agencies for help.

“When we have cases of hoarding, we will work with the adult to see if we can get services in place to help that person,” said DCF Spokeswoman Erin Gillespie. “However, adults must give permission and allow us to help — unless they are found incompetent to make decisions on their own.”

Andrews would not tell reporters if she was cashing her mother's Social Security checks, and Sheehan, of the Sheriff's Office, declined to say if they're investigating that.

Jon Lasher, a spokesman for the Social Security Administration, also couldn't comment.

"We often conduct investigations involving living persons who conceal the death of a relative in order to continue receiving the deceased’s Social Security benefits," Lasher said. "When our investigations prove such an allegation to be true, we pursue all available criminal, civil and administrative remedies in order to recover the stolen funds and bring the individual to justice."

Not your typical cleaning ladies

By Jacqueline Green


When Estates residents Alice Jackson and Tracy Gunn are asked that common question, "What do you do for a living?" their answer shocks most people.

That's because these best friends are the owners and operators of Scene Clean, a crime and trauma scene cleanup service.

Although their service deals primarily with murder and unattended death, Jackson and Gunn handle any clean-up that involves bio-hazardous materials from suicides to homeless camps.

The two established Scene Clean three years ago. They both worked in the cleaning industry and shared an interest in forensics. The business caters to crime scenes from Orlando to the Florida Keys.

"Families tend to think that the police handle crime scene clean up but that's not the case," Gunn explains, "Most families do not know where to turn and are left to handle the cleanup themselves, which can be very traumatizing when dealing with grief." In fact, all calls received by Scene Clean come from family members or friends of the deceased. The police only aid them by giving the families a reference list of local cleaning companies who specialize in bio-hazard disposal. For most situations, Gunn says Scene Clean is at the top of the list.

"We are meeting these families on the worst day of their lives, so when we communicate with them we chose our words very carefully," says Gunn. Even in introductions, she says she's hesitant to give her full name because hearing the word, "gun" can arouse an emotional response.

In most cases, she uses her maiden name.

On occasion, the women aid sheriff and police officials in their investigations by finding forensic evidence that could have been overlooked. To this date however, they haven't found anything that was considered vital evidence in an investigation.

When asked about the worst scene they've worked, Jackson and Gunn recalled a case involving an elderly man.

"He had passed away and was not found for a month," says Jackson. "He had about 25 to 30 cats and most of the cats had died as well from starvation. The remaining cats were feasting on the deceased cats when we arrived. Needless to say it was a mess, and the smell of decomposition had attached itself to everything in the residence." The two say the most rewarding part of their unusual job is aiding families at the worst possible time.

"They don't make a bio-hazard suit to protect you from the emotions that come with this job," Gunn says, "but knowing we are bringing relief to the families is a reward in itself." She says trauma clean-up is not something anyone thinks of until they are dealing with the loss of a loved one.

For Jackson this is something that hits close to home.

"I can sympathize with the victims because I lost both of my parents," she says. "I can see their grief and I can relate." According to Gunn, Scene Clean is the only locally-owned trauma cleanup company. She says they also work with insurance companies and offer discounted rates to uninsured customers in need.

Cleaning up is Purdy's business

By Darlene Schnittker
St Augustine Record

Combine the elements of two current television shows -- "Dirty Jobs" with Mike Rowe and "CSI" -- and you have a pretty good description of Mark Purdy's job as a bio-recovery technician.

The focus of Purdy's job is to decontaminate and disinfect crime and trauma scenes. It is a dirty job, but, as anticipated, Purdy said, "Somebody has to do it."

"I feel as if I was called to do this," he said. "I thoroughly enjoy my job."

Purdy is available 24 hours a day. Most of his trauma calls are for suicide cleanup. After a crime or trauma occurs, detectives, EMTs, and evidence technicians perform their duties. A homeowner or business owner then contacts Purdy so he can provide the necessary clean up.

"I try to make it as convenient and discreet as possible for people," said Purdy.

For example, when he is called to a hotel for clean up after a trauma, he will wear regular clothing in the public areas of the hotel. He then enters the room, puts up the Do Not Disturb sign, then dons his hazardous material gear. This includes a disposable suit, a face mask and two pairs of gloves, which get taped to his sleeve to avoid contamination.

Purdy also wears a mask to avoid the smell. Sometimes he deals with bodies that are decomposing. A decomposing body swells and bacteria seep through the skin, leaking on to surfaces such as floors, mattresses, couches and walls.

Care must be taken to avoid bacteria and clean areas as much as possible.

Aside from the bodily fluids, the chemical used by the evidence technicians in fingerprinting the crime scene is extremely difficult to remove.

Purdy first takes pictures of the trauma scene and assesses the situation. He cleans from the worst area outward, decontaminating as he works. He uses enzymes to loosen up stain, a surfactant, a disinfectant and finally, a tuberculocide.

If liquid has pooled and has saturated the material, it will need to be removed, as it cannot be decontaminated. Purdy cuts material to fit in to a red hazardous material bag for disposal.

If a mattress has to be disposed, he cuts off the material, bags it, then decontaminates the metal springs and disposes of it.

Purdy will often use an ozone machine, which creates an 0 3 molecule, which, in turn, joins with an oxygen molecule to create a reaction that helps dissipate any odors.

"It makes the room smell like rain," said Purdy.

After the site has been cleaned and decontaminated, Purdy takes another set of pictures. Many times, according to Purdy, the homeowners are covered for this service under their insurance.

Purdy's work vehicle is set up to stage decontaminated materials for disposal. A portion of his truck is lined with Linix to transport the bio-hazardous material. He labels his truck while transporting this material to a state-approved facility where it will be incinerated.

Purdy decontaminates all of his equipment and truck and begins anew.

To become certified as a bio-recovery technician, Purdy attended a National Institute of Decontamination Specialists (NIDS) school in South Carolina. It is a hands-on training program that teaches students the proper techniques for bio-recovery clean-up, including what tools to use, which chemicals to use for specific situations and other safety issues.

On the last day of class, the owner of a slaughterhouse brings in pieces of cattle carcasses and the instructor sets up various scenarios in a makeshift house to enact trauma scenes. Students then role play and critique each other on the skills they have learned.

Mark Purdy of St. Johns BioRecovery may be reached 24 hours a day at 501-6412. His Web site is www.stjohnsbiorecovery.com.

Crime Scene Cleanup: What It Involves

A crime scene cleanup service is not without its complications. Crime scene cleaning encompasses restoring the crime scene to its original state. When a crime is usually discovered, crime scene cleaners are not called until after officers of the law, like the crime scene investigators, have done their jobs first and have given the go ahead for the cleaners to come in. If you intend to hire a crime scene cleanup company, you must make sure that they are well equipped and fit right to get the job done. A crime scene presents challenging conditions.

The Use Of Protective Gears:
Crime scenes can very well involve the use of hazardous or deadly substances. For safety reasons then, it has become imperative that crime scene cleaners use protective clothing, in addition to protective tools and gadgets. You must see to it that they have all the necessary protective gears and gadgets. The protective clothing can consist of disposable gloves and suits. A disposable gear is preferred nowadays since it offers the best protection against contamination. You use it one time and get rid of it. That way, the dangers of contamination is virtually brought down to zero percent. Protective clothing extends to respirators and the use of heavy-duty industrial or chemical-spill protective boots.

Among the gadgets that a crime scene cleaning company must have are special brushes, special sprayers, and wet vacuum. These special tools ensure added protection against getting into contact with the hazard could very well be present in the crime scene. There is large, special equipment such as a mounted steam injection tool that is designed to sanitize dried up biohazard materials such as scattered flesh and brain. You would also need to check if they have the specialized tank for chemical treatments and industrial strength waste containers to collect biohazard waste.

Of course, any crime scene clean up must have the usual cleaning supplies common to all cleaning service companies. There are the buckets, mops, brushes and spray bottles. For cleaning products, you should check if they use industrial cleaning products. A crime scene cleaning company must have these on their lists:

1 - Disinfectants including hydrogen peroxide and bleaches - The kinds that the hospitals used are commonly acceptable.

2 - Enzyme solvers for cleaning blood stains. It also kills viruses and bacteria.

3 - Odor removers such as foggers, ozone machines, and deodorizers

4 - Handy tools for breaking and extending such as saws, sledgehammers, and ladders

Established crime scene operators also equip themselves with cameras and take pictures of the crime scene before commencing work which. The pictures taken may prove useful for legal matters and insurance purposes. You never know which.

Needless to say, a specially fitted form of transportation and proper waste disposal is also needed. These requirements are specific. As you can imagine, crime scene cleaning is in a different category on its own. A home cleaning or janitorial service company may not be able to cope up with the demands of a crime scene. A crime scene cleanup service requires many special gears and tools that a home cleaning or a janitorial service company does not usually have or does not require. Crime scene cleaning if not done correctly can expose the public to untold hazards.

What Else To Look For In A Crime Scene Cleanup Company
You may also want to hire a company that has established itself. An experienced company with a strong reputation is always a plus but it could be expensive too. You will do well to balance your needs with what is your budget. There are several companies that offer specific prices such as for death scene clean up categories and suicide clean up categories. Most companies own a website and have round the clock customer service as receptionists.

When looking for a suitable crime scene cleaning service, among the first things you need to do is to scout for price quotes. Crime scene cleanup services usually provide quote after they have examined the crime scene and then they give you a definite quote. Factors that are usually considered include the number of personnel that will be needed to get the job done. It also includes the amount of time that might be needed. The nature and amount of the waste materials that need to be disposed will also be factored in. You can be sure that the more sophisticated equipments needed the more expensive it will get.

Crime Scene Cleanup And Your Insurance
For homeowners, the best approach is always to make sure that crime scene cleanup services clauses and provisions are written down on the contracts or policies. The inclusion of crime cleanup services clauses is very common and has become standard clause in most homeowner’s policy. Make sure that you are covered for this unforeseen event. Make sure that your policy directs the crime scene cleaning company to transact directly with the homeowner insurance company. A crime scene cleaning service is usually a standard clause in many homeowners’ insurance clause. These companies often do the paperwork in behalf of clients.

If for some reason you do not have such coverage by any policies relating to crime scene cleanup on your home, there are ways to keep your expenses controlled.

Finding the right company can be very taxing, especially that you have to deal with the emotional stress stemming from the crime itself, especially with a crime scene involving death.

There are many crime scene cleanup companies in operation nowadays. There are reliable professionals that you can hire and prices are relatively competitive. As of recently, crime-scene cleanup services can cost up to $600 for an hour of their service. A homicide case alone involving a single room and a huge amount of blood can cost about $1,000 to $3,000.

In recent years, crime scene cleaning has come to be known as, "Crime and Trauma Scene Decontamination or CTS. Basically, CTS is a special form of crime scene cleaning focusing on decontamination of the crime scene from hazardous substances such as those resulting from violent crimes or those involving chemical contaminations such as methamphetamine labs or anthrax production. This type of service is particularly common when violent crimes are committed in a home. It is rare that the residents move out of the home after it has become a scene of a crime. Most often, the residents just opt to have it cleaned up. That is why, it is very important to hire the best crime scene cleaning company out there. The place needs to be totally free from contamination of any kind. You have to make sure that the company is able to remove all traces of the violent crime that took place. This includes cleaning biohazards that are sometimes invisible to the untrained eye.

Legally speaking, federal laws state that all bodily fluids are deemed biohazards and you should make sure that the cleanup service company you hire understands this and includes it in the cleanup. These things appear as blood or tissue splattered on a crime scene. You must be able to hire a company that is equipped with special knowledge to safely handle biohazard materials. The company must have the knowledge what to search for in any give biohazard crime scene. For instance, the company should be able to tell clues such that if there is a bloodstain the size of a thumbnail on a carpet, you can bet that there is about a huge bloodstain underneath. Federal and State laws have their own laws in terms of transport and disposal of biohazard waste. Make sure that the company you hire has all the permits necessary.

It will also be a huge plus if you could hire people who not only has the special trainings but also who have the nature to be sympathetic. If you are close to the victim and have the cleaning done at the behest of the victim’s relatives, it would matter that the cleaners tread the site with some level of respect. It is a common site that family members and loved ones are often there at scene. In general, when looking for a suitable crime scene cleaners, you would take into considerations the kind of situation that the crimes scene presents and the demands that it require. Crime scene cleaning companies handle a wide variety of crime scenes and prices may vary from one to the other crime scene and one to the other company.

Each type of scene requires its own particular demands not only to make the crime scene look clean and neat on the surface but to make it germ free, and clean inside and to make it free from all deadly and infectious substances. The cleanup cost for biohazards may vary depending on degree of the bio hazard(s) on the scene. There may even be a category that changes the cleanup pricing which usually involves decomposing bodies and carcasses. Likewise, a cleanup of chemical hazards vary, depending on the amount of chemical hazards as well as the grades i.e. how hazardous the substance is in terms of human contact. Prices are also determined by the number of hours and personnel that it would to get the crime scene cleaned. In addition, the "gross factor" from crime scene involving death and gore needs to be taken under consideration regarding the chemicals that will be used as opposed to those crimes' that do not have gore involved.

ABRA Florida Companies Donate Services to Assist Family Following Tragedy

Lakeland, FL Shooting
ABRA Donates Services
Gilbert, Arizona, May 6, 2009: Dale Cillian, President of the American Bio-Recovery Association (ABRA), a not-for-profit international association of crime and trauma scene cleanup professionals announced that on May 6, 2009 ABRA member companies Accident Cleaners of Williston, FL and Accident Scene Cleaners of Port St. Lucie, Fl provided no cost biohazard cleaning services to the Bellar Family located @ 2018 Creekbend Dr, Lakeland, FL on May 6, 2009. Mr. Bellar shot and killed his wife and two young sons before taking his own life on May 3, 2009.

On April 5, ABRA member companies, Disaster Clean Up of Endwell, NY, and Bio-Recovery Corporation of Queens, NY provided the crime/trauma scene cleaning for the American Civic Association located in Binghamton, NY, the site of thirteen homicides and one suicide.

On April 7, 2009, ABRA member company Bio Clean, Inc., of Lake Stevens, WA provided no cost biohazard cleaning services to a family in Graham, WA where five children were found fatally shot by their father, who then took his own life.

On April 22, 2009, ABRA member company SI Restoration of Baltimore, MD provided no cost biohazard cleaning services to families in Middletown, MD where a father killed his three children and wife before taking his own life.

On April 26, 2009 ABRA member company A1 BIO-Clean of Powder Springs, GA provided no cost biohazard cleaning services to the Athens Community Theatre (Town & Gown Players) in Athens, GA where three people were shot and killed and two others were wounded.

These services were provided at no cost, to aid the respected communities and allow them to begin the healing process.

ABRA member companies are available across the nation on a twenty-four basis to assist families and communities when a tragic event takes place.
CONTACT US TOLL FREE: 888-979-2272

RELEASE: Statement from Town and Gown Players

ATHENS (MyFOX ATLANTA) - The three people we lost yesterday were a part of the rich 50-year history of this theater and, more than that, were vital members of the Town and Gown family.

Ben Teague, loving husband of UGA's Dr. Fran Teague for more than 40 years, was not only a friend but also a father figure to all at the theater. One would be hard pressed to find a Town and Gowner who had not learned at least one life lesson from this wise and kind hearted man. His wife wishes to say, "Yesterday Ben was murdered, which is hard to comprehend and impossible to accept. It was a beautiful day, however, and he was in his favorite place with the people he loved." Ben was a translator of German, Russian and English.

Marie Bruce was the binding force that held the Town and Gown community together. Having worked with Town and Gown for over 20 years, at one time or another she served in every capacity at the theater, artistically and administratively, from leading lady to president of the board to chief cook and bottle washer. A local attorney, Marie was the mother of two young children.

A gentle presence, Tom Tanner breathed life into every corner of Town and Gown through his quiet diligence and astounding creativity - most would call him genius. Father of an equally amazing daughter, Tom would tell you that while he enjoyed his work as director of the Regional Dynamics Economic Modeling Laboratory at Clemson University, his heart lived and thrived in the theater.

Ben, Marie and Tom were a part of our family, and as painful as their loss is for us, we know it is even more painful for their families. We want to extend our deepest sympathy to their immediate family and close friends outside the theater community. There are no words we can use to adequately express our grief.

We would like to thank the Athens Police department and the media for their respectful treatment of this tragedy. We want to thank the American Bio Recovery Association and A1 BIO-Clean Service for the generous donation of their services in our time of need. We also want to thank the Athens Community for their support. This tragedy effects everyone in the community in some way, and we know you share in our loss. We ask that the media continue to be respectful of our privacy during this difficult time.

Custodian’s stress-disorder suit restored

Meghann M. Cuniff / Staff writer

A custodian who sued her school district after being forced to clean up the bloody scene of a student’s suicide had her lawsuit reinstated Tuesday by the Washington Court of Appeals.

Debbie Rothwell, who still works at Lakeside High School in Nine Mile Falls, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a lawsuit filed in May 2007 by her lawyer, William Powell, of Spokane. The 16-year-old student shot himself in the head inside the school’s main entrance in 2004. The lawsuit was dismissed in January 2008 by Spokane County Superior Court Judge Greg Sypolt, who ruled the incident was covered by the Industrial Insurance Act.

But the Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, disagreed and reinstated the suit.

“There are people who do clean up the mess after one of these horrible murders or suicides happen,” Powell said Tuesday, referring to private professionals. “But the superintendent in this case chose not to do that. He should have known better.”

Along with former Superintendent Michael Green, now superintendent of the Woodland School District in Western Washington, the lawsuit names the Nine Miles Falls School District, Stevens County Sheriff Craig Thayer, two sheriff’s detectives and an unidentified man as defendants.

None was available for comment. Like most civil suits in Washington, the complaint seeks unspecified damages.

Rothwell’s complaints center around her task of cleaning up the suicide scene, then being asked to move a backpack she later learned belonged to the victim and contained a suspicious device that authorities detonated using a robot.

She stayed at work until after 4 a.m., cleaning the mess of blood, brain and bone alone, becoming “emotionally distraught and physically ill” before returning to the school less than four hours later at Green’s orders to serve cookies and coffee to grieving students and keep the media from the school, according to the suit.

At issue in the court decisions was whether Rothwell’s claim of post-traumatic stress disorder fell under the industrial injury act, which prohibits lawsuits based on industry injury or occupational disease.

Judges John A. Schultheis and Dennis J. Sweeney ruled it didn’t because it wasn’t the result of one work order. Her trauma grew over several days, according to their written opinion. Judge Teresa C. Kulik dissented.

DEP Agents Arrest Jacksonville Doctor for Improperly Disposing of Biomedical Solid Waste

-Approximately four garbage bags of biomedical waste found in dumpster-

JACKSONVILLE -Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) law enforcement agents arrested Dr. Napoleon Depadua of Industrial Medicine Group on Wednesday for improperly disposing of approximately 200 pounds, or four garbage bags, of biomedical waste in a dumpster. Depadua was charged with Improper Disposal of Solid Waste (Biomedical), a first degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

“Disposing biomedical waste without following the proper procedure is unsafe and compromising to the environment,” said DEP Division of Law Enforcement Director Henry Barnet. “Thanks to assistance from the Duval County Department of Health, we were able to solve this environmental crime quickly and efficiently.”

DEP law enforcement agents were alerted on Wednesday by the Duval County Department of Health (DOH) of a possible crime. After DEP and DOH officials examined the contents of the Industrial Medical Group dumpster, they determined that the waste was biomedical and generated by Industrial Medicine Group. Further investigation led agents to Depadua, who had dumped the waste rather than having it disposed of by a registered biomedical waste transporter. Depadua provided a sworn written statement admitting that he alone illegally disposed of the biomedical waste into the dumpster on the afternoon of July 15, 2008, and was issued a notice to appear in court.

DEP’s Division of Law Enforcement is responsible for statewide environmental resource law enforcement, providing law enforcement services to Florida’s state parks and greenways and trails. Agents investigate environmental resource crimes and illegal dredge and fill activities, and respond to natural disasters, civil unrest, hazardous material incidents and oil spills that can threaten the environment.

To report an environmental crime, wireless customers can now dial #DEP. Callers can also report environmental crimes to the State Warning Point by calling (877) 2-SAVE-FL (1.877.272.8335). General environmental inquiries should be directed to DEP district offices during business hours.

For more information about DEP’s Division of Law Enforcement, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/law.