Prior to joining the Maine Marine Patrol in 2017, Taylor Shewokis was considering a career in conservation law, but decided he’d rather work outside than spend days in an office or the courtroom.
The desire for a job that was more “boots on the ground” has become a reality. “On a day-to-day basis I can work shellfish activity and then transition to checking lobster boats offloading the day’s catch at the wharf,” says Shewokis, whose patrol area covers Harpswell, Orrs Island, and Bailey Island. “I can also spend a day on my patrol boat which is a rigid hull inflatable equipped with twin outboard motors working recreational boating safety and recreational fishing activities.”
The job as a Maine Marine Patrol Officer has provided Shewokis with the ability to chart his own course. “I love the freedom that the job brings, there is so much activity to work in just one town that every day brings something a little different,” says Shewokis. “You can always vary what you plan to enforce for the day. Having a patrol vessel assigned to you means you can get underway whenever its applicable to the day’s work.”
While he enjoys the variety and flexibility that comes with the job, Shewokis appreciates the responsibility he has for people who make a living on the water, and the need to build strong relationships within coastal communities. “We are dealing with people’s livelihoods in the commercial fishing industry. Cultivating a good rapport with the fishermen in your area is critical to becoming an efficient and effective Marine Patrol Officer,” he says.
While building relationships is important, holding people who violate our marine resource laws accountable is a big part of the job. Shewokis’ career highlights include two cases that protected Maine’s valuable lobster resource. One involved a major short lobster case in York early in his career, and a second entailed bringing a fisherman to justice who was hauling another fisherman’s lobster gear in Phippsburg. “I was in the right place at the right time,” says Shewokis.
The opportunity for professional development is a major benefit of the job. “In 2023 I was able to travel to Brunswick, Georgia to take part in the Marine Law Enforcement Training Program which is an advanced boat operation school put on at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center,” says Shewokis. “For a month, I learned about boat operation and navigation while operating within the intercoastal waterway and open ocean off Brunswick.”
Although Shewokis started in the Kittery patrol, his interest in becoming a Marine Patrol Pilot prompted a move to the Harpswell patrol. There, he is closer to an airport where he can take private pilot training and be closer to Marine Patrol’s new plane, which he hopes to fly someday. As a benefit “I realized that I enjoyed working in midcoast Maine.”
His advice to anyone considering a career with the Maine Marine Patrol is “just go for it. It’s an amazing career,” says Shewokis. “The rapport you build with the communities makes this job very personal and you get to know some amazing people along the way. There are ample training opportunities offered through the agency as well as outside training. If you’re nervous about not having a ton of boating experience, that will come with time on the job. The freedom this job offers versus other law enforcement type jobs is unmatched.”
If you are interested in a career with the Maine Marine Patrol, visit https://www.maine.gov/dmr/marine-patrol/employment