A Newcastle man started with Waldoboro Police Department this week, becoming the second school resource officer the town has had since Tom Hoepner resigned from the position late last year.
Chris Spear started with the department on July 14, and says the job will be a “perfect hybrid for what I’m interested in.”
“I’m looking forward to working with juveniles, it’s what I started with originally when I graduated college way back in 1995,” Spear said. His first full-time job after college was with Experiment With Travel, an adventure-based residential facility.
Spear is a licensed social worker and holds a bachelor’s degree with a double major in criminal justice and sociology and a minor in psychology, according to The Lincoln County News archives.
Spear recently worked with the Department of Corrections as a correctional case worker and probation officer. He also started as a reserve officer with Damariscotta Police Department in early June, but is no longer employed there, according to department staff.
Spear completed his Law Enforcement Pre-Service Training School with the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in May, and is anticipated to return to the academy for the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program in January 2015.
Spear will also undergo specialized school resource officer training in the summer of 2015, according to Waldoboro Police Chief Bill Labombarde.
“We’re happy to have him on, and I think, with his background in social work, he is going to be extremely beneficial up at the schools,” said Labombarde. “We’re all looking forward to a good school year.”
Waldoboro’s most recent school resource officer, Tammi Morrison, started in December 2013 but was no longer working for the town as of May 2014.
Morrison replaced Tom Hoepner, the department’s previous school resource officer.
“I can’t characterize the relationship itself, but she [Morrison] did not meet the requirements throughout the entire probationary period and for that reason she is no longer associated with the town,” said Town Manager Linda-Jean Briggs.
