William “Bill” L. Searle III, who as a sergeant in the Massachusetts Environmental Police for almost 27 years until his retirement patrolled the Island’s woodlands and waterways with a familiarity and personality attuned to the rhythm of a small community, died Thursday, March 5, 2015, in Cape Coral, Fla. He was 65.
As the Island’s only Environmental Police officer, Mr. Searle was responsible for a patrol area that included all of Martha’s Vineyard and the surrounding ocean waters. His responsibilities included enforcement of the state’s hunting and fishing regulations, and responding to marine accidents.
The Vineyard appointment is unique within the Environmental Police in that the responsibilities are more diversified than in other parts of the state, and include coastal and inland responsibilities. It also requires an ability to work within a small, insular community. In his forest green, somewhat rumpled uniform, Bill was a familiar and respected figure around the harbor or on the beach. He valued personal relationships, and was more apt to have a stern conversation with those who strayed off the proper path than to write a citation.
In a newspaper interview with The MV Times prior to his retirement in June 2004, Bill said the biggest challenge his replacement would face was winning the trust and support of the community. That included the Island police he or she must work with, and more important, the hunters and fishermen an Environmental Police officer comes in contact with on a regular basis. Over the span of his career, Bill developed working relationships with a variety of people, built on mutual respect and trust.
For Bill, the job was not strictly about enforcement. “In my own opinion, I think this job involves a tremendous amount of education,” he said.
As an example, he pointed to the striped bass: “I think at one time the people here thought it was a bunch of outsiders making laws that were meaningless, until they started to see striped bass disappearing in numbers.”
As he talked to individuals and groups, people he came in contact with began to understand the importance of the regulations. He said the job was to convince people that they had a stake in protecting the resource.
“I told them that when they saw someone taking a small fish, or taking more than their legal amount, it hurt them. It was not hurting the person taking them. And until they figured out I was right, that is the way it was. Now it is completely different,” Bill told the interviewer.
He said what he did then is now called community policing. The goal, he said, was to educate someone, to reach them in such a way that they would stop before doing something that resulted in an arrest or violation notice.
In 1996, Bill began the Dukes County Search and Rescue Team. At the time, people were skeptical that Islanders would work cooperatively in a regional organization. He was able to overcome that hesitancy and help build the organization into a valuable Island resource.
“We are very fortunate that everyone who was alive when they were reported missing we were able to recover alive,” he said.
The tragedies that involved search and recovery stayed with him.
“All of those types of things weigh very heavily on your mind,” said Bill.
Bill Searle was born on Jan. 21, 1950, in Weymouth to Martha and William L. Searle II, who predeceased him.
He graduated from East Bridgewater High School in 1968, after which he entered the Navy. Military service provided an opportunity to visit many ports over the next four years. Prior to joining the Environmental Police, he worked for the Dukes County sheriff. Following his retirement from the Massachusetts Environmental Police in 2004, Bill and his wife Linda moved to Cape Coral, Fla.
He was a 30-year member and Mason of Martha’s Vineyard Oriental Lodge.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 42 years, Linda L. Searle, of Cape Coral; four siblings, Elsa Stewart and husband Jim of Florida and Maine, Charles Searle and wife Katie of New Hampshire, Mark Searle and wife Chris of Maine, and Jeanne Hammond and husband George of Utah; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions in memory of William “Bill” L. Searle III are suggested to The Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, PO Box 494 Vineyard Haven MA 02568
.
No formal services are planned at this time.
Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.
