Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Chase Bossé's decision on a career in law enforcement was literally the result of an accident.

The Brewer native had family members in law enforcement, but he credits the way police handled his sister’s accident with a drunk driver as the key factor that helped him decide.

“I saw the way they responded with my sister. And they came to the hospital and would check on her to see how she was doing.” 

Bossé knew he didn’t want a career sitting behind a desk. So he entered Husson University after Brewer High School and graduated with a degree in criminal justice. As a reserve officer, he served part time with the York Police Department and joined the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in 2017. He completed courses at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy graduating in May 2018.

The Edgecomb resident is a member of the patrol division, responding to a variety of calls including traffic accidents, harassment, domestic violence and disputes.

“Technology has an impact on a majority of what we do,” he told the Boothbay Register. As part of the Husson criminal justice program, specific classes now focus on cyber issues. He spoke about social media and harassment. Sometimes, the sheriff’s office can resolve a problem over the phone.

The offender can be blocked on Facebook and on cell phones and sometimes that resolves the issue. In other situations when the contacts are threatening or annoying, a deputy might call the party making the calls and issue a verbal warning.

Bossé also responds to situations involving domestic violence. “Sometimes these are from money issues or relationship issues. People will be discussing bills and it leads to a fight.” The disagreement may just be verbal, he said, but sometimes it gets physical. “Alcohol plays a huge role."

Bossé said these disputes can involve people at any age. “We never really know what we’re walking into,” he added.

The sheriff’s office has established three sides, or zones, in Lincoln County. With Route 1 as the center of the county, Bossé spends his shift in his vehicle, responding to calls and proactively checking on property, monitoring traffic and policing the area.

Responding to accidents is a regular part of his work and Bossé said many are the result of texting, drugs or drinking. He has concerns about traffic which is not surprising since he spends so much time on the road.

First on the list are the drivers who don’t move over and stop when a vehicle with lights and a siren on is going to a call. When drivers don’t pull over, it becomes more challenging and dangerous for officers to respond quickly.

Winter driving comes under Bossé’s watchful eye, too. “Law enforcement officers are out there all the time in snowstorms and we have very few accidents,” he said. “Most of the accidents we respond to in a snowstorm are caused by people going too fast for the road conditions. Drivers need to be conscious of speed and focused on the road.”

Fortunately, Bossé’s job is not all accidents and domestic violence. He also spends time with local students, regularly having lunch with them in the sheriff’s “dining with a deputy” program. The program allows schoolchildren to meet officers in a pleasant environment and deputies to become more familiar with the county’s schools.

Bossé said the best thing about his work is the freedom to move around. “I appreciate being able to use my discretion on the job.” And did anything surprise him about his work? “Between my cousins in law enforcement and the training we receive, I was pretty well prepared,” he said smiling.