BELFAST — The Belfast Police Department welcomed the addition of its latest full-time police officer Dec. 16. Lewis Dyer, a longtime Waldo County resident, graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy after spending 18 weeks preparing to become a full-time officer. 

Dyer began working with the Belfast Police Department as a reserve officer in 2014, after completing a required 200-hour course. He was hired full time in 2015 and attended the Justice Academy from August through December, he said. 

Living in the area, and with a family heavily involved in community affairs, Dyer said he knew early on he wanted to work with the public. 

“A lot of my family has been involved in public safety, including a grandfather and aunt who [both] worked on ambulances,” he said. 

His interest was further heightened when he took a class focusing in law enforcement while enrolled in the eleventh grade. 

“I loved it,” he said of the class, and the profession he would soon embark upon. 

It has been a journey of hard work and commitment, words that also fit with Dyer’s experience during his 18 weeks at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. 

“The toughest part [of the academy] is that it’s high stress. They put a lot of stress on you because law enforcement is a high stress position,” he explained. 

The 18 weeks covers a range of skills Dyer will use going forward in his law enforcement career, such as criminal law and domestic violence.  Participants were also faced with a wide variety of scenarios they may face in the line of duty. 

“They do mock calls where [participants] have to respond, and they are made to be stressful and mimic real situations,” he said. Participants are then tasked with explaining what they did and why to the entire class. 

“It helps [officers] articulate what we did and how,” he said of the practice. 

With the academy behind him, Dyer has turned his attention to the community he loves. A community that heavily influenced his decision to pursue a career with Belfast Police instead of the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office, or the Maine State Police. 

“I grew up in the area, and I wanted to live in the area,” he said. 

Dyer had also known Belfast Police Chief Michael McFadden “for a long time,” he said, “and I wanted to work with him.”

Both the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office and the Maine State Police are tasked with serving a much larger area than the one town Belfast Police focus on, something that also drew Dyer to the organization. 

“[It’s more] community policing, being able to see people and build a rapport,” Dyer said. 

Perhaps it is fitting then that his first night on the job post-graduation included a crime that effected a large swath of the community.

Dyer was a few hours into his shift when he received report of a suspicious vehicle pulling up to different area mailboxes before inspecting the contents via flashlight.

After responding to the call, Dyer was able to locate a vehicle matching that of the description given to Waldo County Dispatch. The vehicle, which was parked behind a local church, was filled with enough evidence to implicate the driver and their underage passenger in significant theft of mail.

“I was really happy we were able to get them,” he said.

“It’s very rewarding, especially on Christmas morning - stealing mail is a pretty low thing to do. Being able to put an end to the burglaries in the area and being able to return items to people is satisfying,” Dyer said. 

While that incident may be his favorite thus far in his law enforcement career, Dyer said he can’t really name a least favorite aspect of the job. 

“I can’t say I have a least favorite aspect, “ he said, “I love this job and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”

As for his favorite aspect of the job, Dyer was hard pressed to pinpoint a single favorite feature of his newly embarked upon career. 

“My favorite part is when we get calls to help people, whether it be to talk to someone having a crisis, or [a call about] a theft or burglary where you’re able to get someone’s property back,” he said when asked what he most enjoyed. 

While the parts of the job he loves most might be varied, Dyer’s commitment to the people of Belfast remains laser focused.

It is a community Dyer was born and raised within, and one whose police force has became one member stronger with his addition. 

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com