Marine Patrol Officer Job Description and Requirements

Officers by a truck

Job Description & Benefits

The Maine Marine Patrol is the law enforcement Bureau of the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Officers with the Maine Marine Patrol are certified law enforcement officers for the State of Maine with full authority to enforce all criminal statues statewide. MPOs focus their enforcement efforts on Marine Resource and boat law violations on all tidal waters and within coastal communities of the State. MPOs are also deputized by the National Marine Fisheries Service to enforce Federal Fisheries regulations through a Joint Enforcement Agreement with NOAA.

Marine Patrol Officers live and work in the communities they serve. By building relationships with both commercial and recreational users, MPOs embody the concept of Community Policing within the Marine Resource community. MPOs patrol shellfish harvest areas, fishing docks and wharfs, wholesale and retail dealers, boat launches and marinas, seafood trucks, and tidal rivers and streams while shoreside. MPOs patrol aboard watercraft from "head of tide" in Maine's rivers seaward into the Gulf of Maine checking commercial and recreational fishing vessels and harvester's catches and equipment, conducting boating safety equipment and operation checks, providing maritime security and law enforcement, as well as performing search and rescue operations.

Marine Patrol Officers are assigned geographic patrol areas along the coast and at times are responsible to be on call 24-hours a day. MPOs work outside all year and are exposed to all the weather conditions coastal Maine has to offer. MPOs are issued 4-wheel drive pick-up trucks, laptop computers, cell phones, and utilize a variety of watercraft from 12 to 46 feet in length to patrol coastal Maine.

Veterans can receive regular Marine Patrol Officer rate of pay and benefits as well as Veteran’s Basic Allowance for Housing (Benefits) for up to 24 months while you train to become a Marine Patrol Officer. For more info contact Program Manager – Pilot Steve Ingram at 207-624-6560 or steve.ingram@maine.gov

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Minimum Job Requirements

This is investigative and protective services work involving the enforcement of marine resource conservation law, rules, regulations, and other laws within the jurisdiction of the Maine Marine Patrol. Responsibilities include patrolling an assigned coastal area by land and aboard patrol vessels, protecting marine resources, coastal property, and the public; enforcing applicable laws; and investigating complaints and incidents.

In order to qualify, you must:

  • have a high school diploma or equivalent;
  • be at least 21 years old by the time of appointment to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy -OR- can be only 20 years old and have completed an associate's Degree or 60 credit hours of post-secondary education.
  • have successfully passed the Maine Criminal Justice Academy's ALERT examination; (see below for scheduling)
  • have successfully passed the Maine Criminal Justice Academy's Physical Fitness Test (PFT) within the past year; (see below for scheduling)
  • Candidate must have no criminal or extensive motor vehicle record. Proof of age (e.g. legible copy of birth certificate or driver's license) and a copy of your high school diploma or equivalent MUST accompany your application.
  • have or be able to obtain a valid Maine Class C motor vehicle operator's license;
  • be willing to locate anywhere within the State of Maine.
  • MPOs are responsible for identifying buoy colors in order to work cases and testify in court proceedings.

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Maine Criminal Justice Academy Requirements

Maine Marine Patrol Officers are required to attend the MCJA Basic Law Enforcement Officer Training Program; an 18-week training session required of all full-time certified law enforment officers in Maine. The current BLETP entrance requirement, as well as additional information on the curriculum, can be found on the Maine Department of Public Safety's MCJA website HERE.

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    Application Process & Career Opportunities

    Select the links below for more information.

    Automatic Disqualifiers
    1. Have been found guilty of murder or any crime classified in Maine as a Class A, Class B, or Class C crime (any Felony) or a conviction for any equivalent crime in another jurisdiction outside the State of Maine;
    2. Have been found guilty of any crime classified in Maine law as a Class D crime (misdemeanor with a maximum possible term of imprisonment of less than one year) or a conviction for any equivalent crime in another jurisdiction outside the State of Maine;
    3. Have been found guilty of any of the following provisions of the Maine Criminal Code or a conviction for any equivalent crime in another jurisdiction outside the State of Maine:
      •  Chapter 15 (Theft);
      • Chapter 19 (Falsification in Official Matters);
      • Chapter 25 (Bribery and Corrupt Practices); or
      • Chapter 45 (Drugs);  
    4. Must not have engaged in any conduct that is penalized in the State of Maine as Murder, Class A, Class B, Class C, or Class D crime, or any provision of the Maine Criminal Code, Chapters 15, 19, 25, or 45; or engaged in such conduct in another jurisdiction outside the State of Maine, unless that conduct is not punishable as a crime under the laws of that jurisdiction;
    5. Have been found guilty of any crime that is a violation of the domestic abuse provisions of any state or federal statutes.
    6. Have been found guilty of operating-under-the-influence (O.U.I.) of intoxicating liquor and/or drugs within the 10 years prior to application;
    7. Have been adjudicated to have committed a 0.02 violation within the ten (10) years prior to application;
    8. Illegally sold scheduled drugs or drugs which require a prescription;
    9. Engaged in illegal drug use beyond what is considered as experimental;
    10. Are currently abusing drugs or alcohol, or;
    11. Falsify or misrepresent a material fact when interviewed during the Background Investigation, or the Polygraph Examination, or on the Pre-polygraph questionnaire
    Applicant Examination Process

    Because of the responsibilities and authority of a Marine Patrol Officer, the examination and selection process is extensive and thorough. The complete testing process consists of multiple evaluation phases.

    1. ALERT TEST: Applicants must take and pass the ALERT Test prior to applying to the Department of Marine Resources for the position of Marine Patrol Officer. The Alert Test may be scheduled by calling the Maine Criminal Justice Academy at (207) 877-8000. There is a $50 fee for this test. Testing is generally scheduled for during the first and third weeks of every month at MCJA in Vassalboro. This test must meet MCJA's minimum passing score for entrance into the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program. Test Questions are multiple choice and fall within the categories of Writing Skills and Reading Comprehension.
    2. PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST (PFT): Applicants must take and pass the PFT prior to applying to the Department of Marine Resources for the position of Marine Patrol Officer. The PFT may be scheduled by calling the Maine Criminal Justice Academy at (207) 877-8000. There is a $35 fee for this test. Testing is generally scheduled during the first and third weeks of the month at MCJA in Vassalboro. The PFT is a pass/fail test. The PFT consists of three events: a one-minute timed push-up test, a one-minute timed sit-up test, and a 1.5 mile run. Applicants must score in the 40th percentile or above based on the Cooper Standards.
    3. MUST ATTACH YOUR PFT AND ALERT SCORE SHEETS to your application
    4. APPLICATION EVALUATION: Completed applications received at the Department of Marine Resources will be held in order to be considered for the next screening interviews. Applications are reviewed to verify that each candidate meets the established minimum requirements listed on the Career Opportunity Bulletin. Applicants who do not meet these requirements are disqualified from further consideration as candidates.
    5. SCREENING INTERVIEW: To be held at a date to be determined (Generally May and October)All applicants successfully meeting the Minimum Requirements and passing the Alert Test and PFT will be scheduled for a Screening Interview. The Screening Interview is a structured interview that evaluates applicant's skills in the areas of Commitment & Independence; Judgment & Logic; Decision Making/ Decisiveness; Tact & Diplomacy; and Communication Skills. The Screening Interview is based on a scoring system of zero to four, with zero being unsatisfactory and four being outstanding. Applicants must obtain a final converted score of 80 or higher to continue on in the testing process. The Screening Interview counts as 100% of the final score and will determine the ranking structure of the Employment Register.
    6. EMPLOYMENT REGISTER: To be established upon completion of the Screening Interview. Applicants who successfully pass all phases of the examination process will be placed on an Employment Register for this classification. Candidates remain active on this register for six (6) months beginning on the date that the register is finalized. Names will be drawn from this register for INTERVIEWS as positions become open.
    7. NOTE: Each component of the Marine Patrol Direct Hire examination process must be completed successfully. Failure to successfully complete any component will result in disqualification from further consideration.

    Employment is contingent upon the outcomes of a background check, polygraph examination, psychological examination, medical examination, and swim test. After a final interview, a job offer is made.

    Conditions of Employment

    A new Maine Marine Patrol Officer or trainee must:

    1. Successfully complete a 18 week training program provided at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.
    2. Successfully complete advanced Marine Patrol in-house training.
    3. Satisfactorily complete a 45 day field training program within the first 6 months of employment.

    Note: It is important to remember that MPO's work out of their homes and are on call 24 hours a day while on duty status. In addition, MPOs work weekends and at times are required to work extended hours. The hours and nature of the environment to which officers must subject themselves can effect family and social activities. Although the nature of the work is demanding and often challenging, the rewards acquired in this type of work can be substantial.

    The Maine Department of Marine Resources is looking for highly motivated, self-initiated individuals to fill vacant patrol positions along the coast of Maine.

    Marine Patrol Job Listing

    To APPLY TO BE A MAINE MARINE PATROL OFFICER visit the Maine Bureau of Human Resources website. 

    Request Information

    To request information on a career in the Maine Marine Patrol, please fill out this form and a representative of the Maine Marine Patrol will contact you.