Damariscotta Police Chief Jason Warlick (right) shakes hands with Sgt. Erick Halpin at the town office on Tuesday, May 7. The Damariscotta Police Department, town office staff, and members of the Damariscotta Select Board gathered to honor Halpin on his last day. (Maia Zewert photo)
After almost a decade serving the town of Damariscotta, Sgt. Erick Halpin logged his last shift for the municipality on Tuesday, May 7.
Members of the Damariscotta Police Department, town office staff, and the Damariscotta Select Board celebrated Halpin’s tenure and accomplishments since he joined the department as a reserve officer in October 2014.
“It’s been a really rewarding time,” Halpin said. “We’ve been so lucky … this is such a great community, with great people.”
Damariscotta Police Sgt. Erick Halpin reads well-wishes from students at Great Salt Bay Community School during a celebration at the town office on Tuesday, May 7. The students created the signs for Halpin’s last day with the department. (Maia Zewert photo)
In addition to his time with the Damariscotta Police Department, Halpin’s career in law enforcement includes a year-plus working at the Phippsburg Police Department, five years as a corrections officer at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset, and eight in the National Guard. Right before he joined the Damariscotta department, Halpin had deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 and spent a year mentoring Afghan police officers north of Kabul, the country’s capital.
Halpin became a full-time officer with the department later in 2014 and graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in December 2015.
At the annual town meeting in June 2017, Jason Warlick, then the interim chief of the department, presented Halpin with a Lifesaving Award for his contributions to saving the life of a man who had overdosed by using two doses of Narcan before paramedics arrived on the scene.
When Warlick was sworn in as the town’s police chief in August 2017, he announced Halpin had been promoted to the rank of sergeant, the second-in-command of the department.
Halpin has accepted the role of police chief in another town. To allow the town’s departing chief to make their own announcement, Halpin declined to name the municipality out of respect.
“We want them to have the same opportunity to announce it to their own community,” Warlick said.
Damariscotta Town Manager Andy Dorr (left) presents Sgt. Erick Halpin with a going-away gift of beach items during a celebration at the town office on Tuesday, May 7. Halpin, who joined the Damariscotta Police Department in October 2014, worked his last shift on May 7. (Maia Zewert photo)
Prior to the celebration at the town office, Warlick worked with students at Great Salt Bay Community School in Damariscotta to create signage congratulating Halpin on the new job. The signs were posted near the school drop-off area the morning of May 7, and Warlick asked Halpin to come to the school under the pretense of a call so he could see the students’ work.
“It’s hard to put into words the loss, but at the same time I really happy for him,” Warlick said. “He was not just a spoke in the wheel; he was a major artery of the department.
Halpin described himself as being “lucky” for getting to spend part of his career working for the town of Damariscotta.
“Right now, the department is in such a good place, with the recent accreditation and the staff we have, we have a good positive working environment here,” Halpin said. “I absolutely truly adore this community.”
The department is currently hiring for the sergeant position. Applications will be accepted until Friday, May 31. For more information, go to shorturl.at/dzDUZ.
