ASHLAND, Maine — Michael Montpetit, a sergeant with the Washburn Police Department and resident of Ashland, announced this month he is running as a Republican candidate for Aroostook County Sheriff.
His announcement follows those of Presque Isle Police Chief Matt Irwin, who is running as a Republican, and Chief Deputy Sheriff Shawn Gillen, a Democrat. Provided all three candidates submit their nomination papers with at least 150 validated signatures of voters by March 15, and no other candidates enter the race, Irwin and Montpetit would face off in the June primary for the right to go up against Gillen in the general election in November.
Montpetit, who grew up in Masardis, has 23 years of experience in law enforcement, beginning in 1995 with the Ashland Police Department. He worked for the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office from 2001 to 2015, during which time he patrolled all areas of the County from the St. John Valley to Molunkus.
After taking a break from law enforcement to help his wife, Monique Montpetit, operate two small businesses in Eagle Lake, he entered his current position as sergeant for the Washburn Police Department in 2017.
“I was born and raised in Aroostook County and I’ve been in public safety for almost a quarter of a century. I’ve been right there in the trenches with people and I have an understanding of what we can do to help them,” Montpetit said.
One of the most important issues Montpetit would like to tackle as sheriff is the growing problem of drug addiction and related crimes in Aroostook County. If elected, he would like to bring back the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program through their keepin’ it REAL (Refuse, Explain, Avoid and Leave) curriculum. Keepin’ it REAL is an evidence-based program that aims to teach students about the harmful effects of drugs and decrease the likelihood that they will abuse substances.
“I feel like we’re in this endless cycle where we keep arresting the same people over and over again,” Montpetit said. “We need to teach children at a young age about the profound effects of drugs so that they have the tools to prevent drug abuse.”
Montpetit also wants to increase police departments’ access to training that can help officers respond to veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
“There are men and women throughout the County who come back from serving overseas and have a hard time blending back into society because of what they’ve been through,” Montpetit said. “One of the first things I’d like to do as sheriff is increase opportunities for officers to be trained on how to respond to veterans with PTSD.”
As an Aroostook County native, Montpetit believes that his passion for northern Maine and serving its people would translate into an effective tenure as sheriff.
“My opinion is that it takes more than a knowledge of budgets and supervision to be sheriff. Both those areas are important, but having connections with the people you serve out in the public is what gives you a unique perspective,” Montpetit said.
