The Damariscotta Police Department’s new reserve officer plans to apply his knowledge of social work to a new career in law enforcement.
Chris Spear, of Newcastle, joined the department the week of June 2.
Spear’s recent resume includes several years as a caseworker and a probation and parole officer with the Maine Department of Corrections.
A licensed social worker, he has a bachelor’s degree with a double major in criminal justice and sociology and a minor in psychology from American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Spear said his “biggest regrets” to this point are not joining the military or pursuing a career in law enforcement. “I had the opportunity right out of college to work with a couple of departments in Massachusetts,” he said. Instead, he opted to sell software.
He worked for software companies, including two Fortune 500 companies, in Massachusetts before moving to Maine 10 years ago. He recently decided to make a career change and pursue his long-held desire to work in law enforcement.
Spear will draw on his counseling skills and his training and experience from previous jobs as he embarks on his new career, he said. He hopes to become a full-time officer soon.
He looks forward to working with the public and “helping people out as much as I can” in Damariscotta, he said.
Damariscotta Police Chief Ron Young said Spear is “a good addition for the town, especially with his experience.”
Spear, with his background in social work, will fit in well with the department’s philosophy of community policing. “He has a lot of experience to assist with some of the issues we have in dealing with people,” Young said.
