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| Contributed photo Recognizing his support for public safety by protecting and investing in Maine’s youngest, at-risk kids, Caribou Police Chief Michael Gahagan was presented with the Champions of Children Award on Sept. 13 by Kim Gore, state director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Maine. |
WELLS — Caribou Police Chief Michael Gahagan was presented with a special award during the fall meeting of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association, which took place Sept. 13 in Wells.
The organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Maine honored Chief Gahagan for his dedication to helping children by presenting him with the Champion of Children Award.
Maine State Director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Kim Gore presented Chief Gahagan with the award, recognizing his support for public safety by protecting and investing in Maine’s youngest, at-risk kids; Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a statewide anti-crime organization of police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, other law enforcement leaders and violence survivors with 125 in Maine and over 5,000 members nationwide.
“Chief Gahagan understands that if you help kids get a safe and healthy start in life with a foundation for success in school, we’re making an excellent down payment on improving public safety and preventing crime,” Gore said. “He has been an outstanding member of our organization for nine years, and we are pleased to present him with this well-deserved recognition.”
Among his many contributions to Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, Chief Gahagan traveled to Washington, D.C. in June to meet with U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to explain the importance of early intervention and prevention for reducing crime and violence in the community.
Chief Gahagan said he was honored to accept the Champion for Children Award.
“I have been in law enforcement a long time. I firmly believe that the law enforcement mission begins with focusing our time, energy and financial resources on our youngest kids,” he said.
Gahagan is the outgoing president of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association; his career with Caribou Police Department began in 1973 and he was promoted to chief of police in 2005. He also serves as a deputy sheriff with the Aroostook County Sheriffs Department.
Gahagan is co-chairman of the Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) Advisory Committee and the Aroostook Council for Healthy Families. He sits on the Power of Prevention Board in his district. He is also a member of the CADET group.
