Rene Cloutier, a 20-year veteran of the Maine Bureau of Marine Patrol, has been promoted to Lieutenant of Division I, which includes the Maine coast from Kittery to the St. George River.

As Lieutenant, Cloutier will be responsible for planning, directing, supervising and evaluating all Marine Patrol activities within the Division.

Cloutier replaces Major Jon Cornish, who served as Division I Lieutenant for the previous nine years before his recent promotion.

Prior to his promotion, Cloutier served seven years as a Marine Patrol Sergeant based in West Boothbay Harbor. During his years as Sergeant, Cloutier supervised the work of five marine patrol officers and one boat specialist. He was also responsible for the investigation and successful prosecution of numerous violations of lobster fishery laws.

In April 2013, Cloutier was responsible for investigating the state’s largest illegal elver possession case, in which $61,500 worth of illegally possessed elvers were seized and a New Hampshire man was convicted.

“That’s that kind of detective work and enforcement effort that ensures the protection of our state’s valuable marine resources and typifies Lieutenant Cloutier’s career,” said Patrick Keliher, the Department of Marine Resources Commissioner.

Cloutier began his career in the Maine Marine Patrol in 1994, serving for seven years as a marine patrol officer in Friendship.

In 2001, Cloutier was promoted to specialist, working out of Rockland, a position he held for five years.

“Lieutenant Cloutier has a track record of going above and beyond in everything he does,” said Marine Patrol Colonel Joseph Fessenden. “His work ethic, high professional standards, and attention to detail have established him as a leader within the Bureau and as a trusted resource for people making their living on the water.”

The Marine Patrol is a Bureau of the Maine Department of Marine Resource that provides law enforcement, search and rescue, public health, maritime security and public safety services on Maine’s coastal and tidal waters. For information on exciting careers in the Marine Patrol, visit www.maine/dmr.