HOULTON, Maine — The top officials with the Maine State Police journeyed from Augusta to Houlton Wednesday morning to get a first-hand look at the department’s personnel and equipment.
Col. John Cote, Lt. Col. Bill Harwood, Special Services Maj. Chris Grotton and Operations Maj. Brian Scott all made the trip north from Augusta to tour the Houlton facility.
Col. John Cote, left, commander of the Maine State Police, speaks to Lt. Brian Harris of Troop F during the department’s inspection Wednesday morning in Houlton.
(Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr)
“Events such as this give us, as a command staff, an opportunity to travel throughout the state and meet face to face with all of the troopers, sergeants and commanders,” Cote said. “We will also have a good, candid conversation to find out what is going in this troop and what the local issues are. I know a lot of time and effort goes into getting ready.”
Cote is no stranger to the Houlton barracks. He was assigned to Troop F in 1989 and spent the majority of his career in the criminal division, investigating homicides and suspicious deaths in northern Maine. In 1995, he was promoted to the rank of detective and in 2000, he was promoted to sergeant, a role he filled until July 2012 when he stepped in for Lt. Mark Brooks as the acting lieutenant for Troop F. In June 2018, he was sworn in as the chief of the Maine State Police.
“We do have a bit of a home field advantage of sorts with Col. Cote in charge,” said Lt. Brian Harris. “He spent his entire career up here in The County as a road trooper, detective and sergeant. He knows all the challenges that we face and that is a good thing for us.”
Trooper Ted Martin of the Maine State Police Troop F barracks speaks to Col. John Cote during the troop’s inspection.
(Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr)
Harris added while many of the issues that troopers face are universal throughout the state, northern Maine troopers tend to have a wider variety of issues they must face on a daily basis.
“This is a good chance for our leaders to come up and inspect the troop and along with that, they get to see what shape our vehicles and equipment are in,” Harris said. “The biggest thing we get, though, is we get to have a sit-down session with our top four officials (in the state police) to tell them the issues that we are facing here in northern Maine.”
At the completion of the inspection, Harris said he will be given information on what areas the Troop excelled at and what areas need to be improved upon.
Major Brian Scott of the Maine State Police inspects the contents of one of the state police cruisers Wednesday morning at the inspection of the Troop F barrack in Houlton.
(Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr)
