Craig Worster (Abigail Adams photo)
Maine native Craig Worster has returned to his home state to work for the Wiscasset Police Department. Worster will serve as a permanent part-time officer while full-time patrol officer Nadean Crossley attends the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, Wiscasset Police Chief Jeffrey Lange said.
Crossley’s training will last until the end of December, Lange said.
Worster brings 15 years of experience with the Ridgefield Police Department in Connecticut – a department he left with the rank of lieutenant. Originally from Winterport, Worster spent nine years with the U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard before joining the Ridgefield Police Department.
He was stationed in Rockland for a portion of his time with the Coast Guard, and returning to the area has always been part of his long-term plan, Worster said. Worster learned of the open position in Wiscasset, and the timing was right in his personal life, he said.
“I love it here. I love the coast,” Worster said.
While Worster has returned to the Midcoast as a personal preference, he is focused on his work with the Wiscasset Police Department. “I’m here to do a job,” he said.
“This is a great town,” Worster said. “They’re really supportive of what (the department) is doing.”
Worster worked as a sergeant and a detective in Ridgefield before his promotion to the rank of lieutenant. One of Worster’s strongest skills is interacting with the community, he said.
“One of the things I excel at is the ability to get out of the car,” Worster said. “It’s important to talk to people.”
While in Ridgefield, Worster helped institute the “shop with a cop” program, a program where cops adopt a family in need and take them shopping during the holiday season. Also a former DARE officer, Worster said community programs such as “shop with a cop” help build a rapport with kids in the community and shine a different light on police officers.
Opening up the line of communication between residents and the police department also makes the community safer, Worster said. “100 sets of eyes are better than one,” he said.
Worster will serve as a permanent part-time officer until the end of December, Lange said. His employment status following Crossley’s return from training is to be determined.
While the exact status of Worster’s role with the department, which has three full-time officers and several reserve officers, is not yet known, Worster is committed to making the Midcoast his home, he said.
“I’m here,” Worster said. “This is not a jumping-off point for me.”
