Marine Patrol Officers are required to have knowledge and skill sets in many different areas. Many Officers are involved with specialty teams and assignments in addition to their normal patrol duties. Some of these specialty areas are described below.
Underwater Recovery Team
The Underwater Recovery Team (URT) consists of sixteen highly trained members from both the Maine Marine Patrol and the Maine State Police. This successful collaboration between Marine Patrol and State Police goes back to 1995 and leverages resources and personnel from both agencies. The URT provides its specialized services to communities and law enforcement agencies across the state. The team conducts searches for evidence and is tasked with underwater crime scene investigation and documentation. The team also conducts search and recovery operations for victims of motor vehicle and watercraft crashes, drownings, homicide, and other water related deaths. The team is often called upon to search vessels and harbor structures in Maine as part of Homeland Security.
Firearms Team
The Maine Marine Patrol Firearms Team is comprised of three to six Maine Criminal Justice Academy certified instructors who are tasked with basic and advanced firearms training for Marine Patrol recruits and incumbent officers. Firearms instructors assist in training police officer recruits during the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program twice a year at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro. The Firearms Team trains, qualifies, and certifies on both rifle and pistol platforms and is committed to provide the most professional and relevant training to all personnel.
Honor Guard
The Maine Marine Patrol Honor Guard is a ceremonial unit comprised of up to nine Officers. The Officers are highly motivated individuals who maintain exceptionally high standards of appearance and conduct and show aptitude for ceremonial duty. Marine Patrol Honor Guard members are trained in protocol and upkeep of their equipment and uniform. While the Honor Guard team is called to duty for parades and ceremonial events, the team's main role is to provide funeral honors for fellow officers. Honor Guard members take pride in their duties to serve, protect, and exemplify professionalism.
Disentanglement Team
The Maine Marine Patrol Disentanglement Team is a member of the Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network, which operates as part of the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) within the National Marine Fisheries Service. The Disentanglement Network was established in 1994 to increase response to entangled marine animals in the U.S. and Canada. Coordinated by the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the network is comprised of first response personnel who have extensive field experience with whales as well as small boat handling skills. The Marine Patrol Disentanglement Team is comprised of up to eight members located throughout the State of Maine. All members are trained and accredited through the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies in conjunction with the National Marine Fisheries Service and actively engage in disentanglement efforts each year.
Critical Incident Stress Management
The Maine Marine Patrol is committed to the health of its employees and considers officer mental health and wellness a top priority. The Bureau recognizes that sometimes officers are faced with traumatic situations as part of their normal duties. Stress responses may affect an employee immediately, hours, days, and perhaps even years later. The Marine Patrol has formed a dedicated team of trained officers to provide peer support as well as facilitate critical incident debriefings after traumatic events. CISM Team members have received specialized training allowing these meetings to be held confidentially and continue participation in ongoing training each year.
Maritime Security Team
The Maine Maritime Security Team was formed in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard, Maine State Police, and the Maine Emergency Management Agency to address the need for a state-wide multi-agency waterborne response post 9/11. The MMST consists of officers from the Marine Patrol and the State Police Tactical Team who have received specialized training in waterborne response specifically related to maritime safety and security. MMST members are specially trained to U.S. Coast Guard Standards as “tactical boat operators.” Team members undergo yearly training and recertification, as well participate in USCG, MEMA, and Federally recognized trainings throughout the state. The team is equipped to provide immediate response for vessel escorts, shore-side security missions, high value asset protection details, and high-risk maritime law enforcement operations.