FARMINGTON – Police Detective Marc Bowering was named the department’s 2008 employee of the year by police Chief Richard E. Caton III.

Bowering was recognized for solving crimes in Farmington and surrounding communities during the year, including 20 burglaries and 13 forgeries committed by two people.

“A couple guys and a girl burglarized a house and stole some checks. They started writing checks on a closed account,” Bowering said Wednesday. Once located and interviewed, the three admitted to 20 area burglaries.

Bowering was also commended for his work in the arrest and conviction of the armed robber of the downtown TD Banknorth bank and 10 felony theft cases, most thefts against employers, Caton said.

Two nationally recognized training sessions also were held at the department through Bowering’s planning. A group from Virginia was brought here for training on robbery investigations, Bowering said. With very little training on the subject available in state, hosting the training here meant five free slots were available for Farmington officers. Officers from as far away as Colorado attended.

Bowering is one of two Taser officers in the department, each needing recertification every three years requiring travel to wherever it’s being offered, he said. His certification was running out in December so he organized a Taser instructor course that brought officers from across the state to Farmington and gave the local department two free slots. It saved money for local taxpayers, he said.

With about 20 years experience in law enforcement, Bowering, who grew up locally and graduated from Mt. Blue High School in 1983, was drawn to the work following “the good example” set by his father, who also worked in law enforcement.

After graduation, he served four years in the Army then returned here to work as a patrolman and was assigned to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency unit before spending the last seven years as a detective.

“Everyday is different and I learn something new, but also the people I work with . . . professional people who enjoy their jobs,” Bowering said.

The father of two children, he said the worst of his job is the “violence stuff, especially against kids. There’s also a touch of stress, frustration and sometimes boredom, but it’s all about pieces . . . as a patrolman or detective dealing with citizens we can only do so much . . . without citizen involvement it would make it harder,” he said.