OLD TOWN, Maine — Law enforcement officers and fire officials from around the region converged on the Old Town Public Safety building Friday to honor Chief Don O’Halloran as he retired after 46 years in uniform.
They lined the street between the station and his house, which is about 200 yards away, and saluted him, shook his hand and told jokes to wish O’Halloran well.
“I have police officers now that I hired who are so young [that] I started here before they were born,” O’Halloran, 67, said earlier in the week, sitting at his mostly cleared-off desk.
An Amherst native and 1966 Brewer High School graduate, O’Halloran has spent the last 26 years of his career leading Old Town’s police department after spending 20 years on the Bangor force.
The sendoff was organized by Old Town Sgt. Lee Miller.
“It’s a great chance to thank the chief for the tremendous job he has done for the city and for the law enforcement community,” said Miller, who has worked with O’Halloran for several years.
O’Halloran was 21 and driving a truck for a living when his older brother, Bob, suggested he apply at the Bangor Police Department. He was hired as a patrolman in January 1969.
“I immediately said, ‘This is a lot of fun. I like this,’” he said. “I got paid $94 a week for patrol.”
Initially, he was assigned to Bangor’s juvenile division and after 20 years, he had earned the rank of lieutenant and was chief of the detective’s division. He was hired away by Old Town to replace retiring chief Dale Gauthier in 1989.
Through the years there have been good times and bad times, but one incident that involved the beating death of a young boy on George Street that occurred when he was a detective for Bangor still haunts him occasionally. The images of the injured child are what flash before his eyes.
“It’s clear, just like it happened yesterday,” O’Halloran said. “When you’re dealing with the death of a child, that bothers us all. To survive, you try to learn from these things. You have an obligation [to protect the vulnerable].”
The benefits of helping people and improving the community through service help to offset the tragedies of life, O’Halloran said.
“It’s a very rewarding job. We do have bad days because we deal with human nature, which has a dark side, but we also see the good in people,” he said.
O’Halloran said he has worked with a great group of officers who are professional and have integrity.
“I have been blessed to be a part of that brotherhood and sisterhood,” the chief said. “I see my role as a coach to support them and give them the tools they need.”
City officials have hired Orono police Sgt. Scott Wilcox to fill the police chief’s position. Wilcox starts Monday, the city manager’s assistant said.
O’Halloran’s advice for Wilcox: “You can have a really good impact on this community. You can really make a difference in the quality of life. Don’t underestimate that.”
City Manager Bill Mayo said O’Halloran went above and beyond when serving the community.
“Don obviously did a very good job for the city,” Mayo said. “He’s hard working and dedicated and we wish him the best in his retirement.”
There is not another job on the horizon for O’Halloran, who said he plans to spend time with his wife and enjoying his grandkids at camp.
The retiring police chief said he knew right from the start that he liked police work, but “I didn’t think I’d still be doing it at 67,” O’Halloran said. “It’s been an honor to work here. I’ve been blessed.”