FARMINGTON — Albert Smith of Wilton had a bachelor’s degree in accounting, but a ride-along with his brother, a Farmington police officer, changed his mind about his career.

He liked being outside rather than working inside, he said.

Smith, 68, officially retired Tuesday after 38 years with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department in Farmington.

He began his law enforcement career in Wilton in 1973 when he learned the town was looking for an officer. He began work part time for the Sheriff’s Department in 1974 and went full time on Jan. 5, 1975. He became a patrol deputy in May 1976. In 2000, he was promoted to corporal and became a transport officer for the jail and became transport supervisor when the state took over the county jails in July 2009.

Smith was born on a cattle farm in East Wilton. He ran his father’s farm while holding down his full-time jobs. He also oversaw a stable of 15 race horses.

“Getting five hours of sleep was a lot for me back then,” Smith said.

He has been involved in harness racing for decades. He was expected to head to Bangor on Tuesday to take a job as paddock judge for the Hollywood Casino, Hotel and Raceway. He will be in charge of getting horses on the track on time, among other tasks.

Reflecting on his years with the Sheriff’s Department, he said his favorite part was dealing with the public.

“It really has been an honor to work for the public,” he said. “When you can help a person in need, it is one of the biggest rewards there is being a law enforcement officer. The reason I stuck it out as long as I did is because the public has been very supportive.”

His wife, Shannon, and his children also have been very supportive of his work and he appreciated it, he said.

He said he was brought up to treat people as he would want to be treated and has always followed that philosophy with fellow workers and inmates.

“I had very little trouble with any of the inmates,” he said. “Ninety percent of them always did what I asked them to do.”

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