FORT KENT, Maine — A sheriff’s deputy with a reputation for excellence and a passion to serve others has been named 2022 Deputy of the Year by the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Adam Bouchard was bestowed the honor on Wednesday at an Aroostook County Commissioners meeting in his hometown of Fort Kent.
“Adam’s demeanor and professionalism both on and off duty exemplifies the mission of the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Shawn Gillen said. “He received written nominations from his superiors for his commitment and work performance; investigations and reports are always thorough and done on time. His passion for serving the community does not go unnoticed by the people he serves.”
This is the second year the sheriff’s department has selected a deputy to receive the award in recognition of excellent service. Last year’s recipient was Deputy Ben Boutlier.
Bouchard, 33, is a University of Maine at Fort Kent graduate with bachelor’s degrees in rural public safety administration and computer applications. After graduation, he began his career at the Bar Harbor Police Department and then worked at Ellsworth Police Department before taking a job with Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office in May 2021.
He and his fellow deputies patrol a 7,000-square-mile area that is Maine’s largest county. Bouchard said he enjoys working in such a large coverage area because it allows him to help people from many different towns.
“We are very proud of all the deputies that serve and protect the people of Aroostook County and Adam is a testament to that,” County Administrator Ryan D. Pelletier said. “He goes above and beyond and it’s nice to see him be recognized for his hard work.”
Bouchard, who specializes in drunk driving cases, said he likes interacting with the community and the challenges of investigating.
The award-winning deputy has aspirations to become certified to work with a police dog within the department and trains his two family dogs as a pastime.
“I train my bloodhound to track wounded animals for hunting and teach my lab how to retrieve birds and things of that nature,” Bouchard said.
Bouchard lives in Fort Kent with his wife, the couple’s daughter, two dogs and two cats.
