LIVERMORE FALLS — Ernest “Ernie” Steward Jr. has resigned after serving as police chief for 34 years, effective Oct. 13.

The 68-year-old Wilton resident will become a full-time officer University of Maine at Farmington starting Oct. 16, having been part-time there for over 19 years.

“I am not looking at this as a retirement. I am looking at this as slowing down and relieving some of the extra pressure,” he said. “I am going to UMF and be a regular police officer.”

Prior to becoming chief, he was a patrolman in Jay for 13 years.

He grew up in Farmington graduated from Mt. Blue High School in 1972. At 21, he became a police officer.

“I have always wanted to be a police officer,” Steward said. “It is never boring. There is something to do all of the time.”

He became interested in police work his freshman year of high school.

“I did a ride-along with Farmington police officer Dennis Pike,” he said.

Police work can be stressful, he said.

“They’ve got to deal with all kinds of situations. They are dealing with troubled kids and adults, suicidal people, criminals,” he said.

When working the streets of Jay, marijuana was a major issue.

“I never expected it to be legal,” he said. “I used to arrest people on felonies — related to marijuana. We never had the issues we have now with fentanyl and oxycodone.”

“There are lot more overdoses than we had before. We are the ones responding,” he said, and trying to revive them when first on the scene.

Being a police officer is not something you get rich on, he said. “It’s something you have to want to do.”

Throughout his career, he has seen many changes in the law.

Police used to have a lot of discretion to decide the best course of action in a case. Now there are a lot of mandates to follow, and certain crimes require mandatory arrests, including domestic violence cases, he said.

“We used to do all our reports by hand and typewriter,” Steward said. “Now we do them on computer. You can autocorrect and don’t have to use correction tape.”

“My wife, Cathy, has always been supportive of my job,” he said.

They have been married 46 years and have two adult children and four grandchildren. He missed a lot when his children were growing up and involved in sports and activities. She took care of the kids, Steward said.

It’s the peeple he will miss when he leaves Livermore Falls.

“The majority of the people are supportive. There are a select few who are anti-police,” he said.

He said the political atmosphere surrounding police in other states has had an effect.

It is difficult to find people who want to be an officer. They have advertised for several weeks for an open position but no one has applied, Steward said.

“We used to get 20 to 30 applications,” he said.

More and more work has fallen on him as the department downsized, including the loss of dispatch service in 2009. Residents voted 101-93 to have Androscoggin County provide emergency dispatch service, which effectively closed the local dispatch center.

“You lose a lot of community contact when you are tied up in the office,” Steward said. “You are responsible 24/7 for the officers and what they do. You expect your officers to keep in contact.”

He said he will miss all the officers, even those who left the department.

UMF Police Chief Brock Caton started at the Livermore Falls Police Department and went to the academy for the local department. Now he will be Steward’s boss. Caton still works in Livermore Falls part-time.

“We are excited and fortunate to have Ernie joining our team,” Caton wrote in an email Wednesday. “Ernie brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in his 47 years of law enforcement and will have a seamless transition to our full-time staff here at the UMF Campus Police Department because he has been a part-time officer for the department for over 19 years. Ernie is a consummate professional who will fit in nicely with the UMF community and we look forward to him adding value to our team!”

There one aspect of police work he doesn’t like: “Politics that interfere with trying to maintain a decent relationship with your officers,” he said.

Things that happen in California are different from what happens in Maine.

“Maine police departments are not the same,” Steward said. “Police in Maine are regulated very well.”

The Maine Criminal Justice Academy Board of Trustees oversees police conduct. The Office of the Maine Attorney General conducts investigations if there are questions surrounding an officer’s conduct.

“As a police officer no matter where you are working, you are responsible for the safety of the people and the property of the people in that area,” he said.

Besides his chief job, he is also the E-911 addressing officer, local emergency management agency director, sex offender specialist, and is responsible for access to the police computer system. He is also the Freedom of Access and civil rights officer. And he’s responsible for handling the department budget.

Town Manager Amanda Allen announced Steward’s resignation Tuesday to selectmen. “He will be greatly missed but I am very excited for (his) next adventure,” she said.

“We have a plan to replace the police chief and also a plan to replace the fire chief,” board Chairman Jim Long said.

Steward is orienting Lt. Michael Adcock on responsibilities and procedures and training him to take over during the transition.

The plan is to set up an advisory committee of some selectmen, community members and personnel to find a new chief.

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