Nobleboro resident Todd Brackett announced Tuesday that he will seek another term as sheriff of Lincoln County. Brackett began his 27-year career in law enforcement in 1986 as a deputy sheriff for the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office. He moved to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in 1988 where he worked for 11 years before serving as police chief for the town of Damariscotta. He was first elected sheriff in November of 2002 and has served in that capacity since January of 2003.

“Lincoln County is a very special place to me and my family, it is our home, and it has truly been a privilege for me to serve as sheriff for the past 11 years,” Brackett said. “My work is not done, serving as sheriff is a career I enjoy very much and as our county continues to grow and prosper, so do the public safety challenges we face. I want to continue to meet those challenges head on. The men and women of your sheriff’s office are among the very finest in our state and I am very proud of each of them and will continue to provide them with the very best training, technology and support available as we keep pace with emerging crime trends.”

Technology and training has been a big part of Brackett’s focus over the past 11 years. “As the world around us advances so must we,” Brackett said, as he spoke about the impact that social media and hand held technology has had on law enforcement. “We’ve made many changes in our approach to investigations and our use of technology which is crucial to our effectiveness. Training for my staff is a priority and will continue to be we move into the future.”

“I have tried to keep a close and positive working relationship all the towns in Lincoln County, which remains a priority to me,” Brackett said. Citing items such as contracting with towns for shellfish enforcement and harbor master services, including current discussions of possibly providing animal control services for communities interested as examples.

“There are a lot of good things happening,” Brackett said. “Our community service program where supervised prisoners from the jail complete a variety of work projects for towns and local nonprofits continues to be a huge success providing significant financial savings to those who take advantage of the program. At the same time the program reduces the amount of time some inmates spend in our jail which also reduces our cost of housing them. We continue to work closely with our elder population through TRIAD and other initiatives. The same is true with our domestic violence, substance abuse, sexual assault and mental health providers.”

Working closely with our youth continues to be a priority for Brackett as well. In addition to the school resource officer and DARE programs last year Brackett implemented “Dining with a Deputy.”

“The idea came from my staff not long after the Sandy Hook tragedy, and is as simple as it sounds. Deputies stop in at elementary schools around the county, have lunch and spend recess time with the students and staff. The program is supported by the schools and provides an opportunity for the deputies, students and (faculty members) to get acquainted, with no new costs involved. It has also helped my staff become more familiar with the layout of each school and its surroundings. It is a true win win,” Brackett said.

If reelected this November, Brackett said he remains committed to these initiatives and his commitment to our communities. “Our county great place live, work and play and I believe that working together we can keep it that way for future generations.”