Biddeford Police chief reflects on career that spans more than five decades

After more than 50 years of service, Biddeford Police Chief Roger Beaupre will retire his position in January.

Beaupre, 73, was born and raised in Biddeford. Before joining the Biddeford Police Department in 1971, he served as a military police officer in the United States Air Force, stationed in Taiwan.

A lot has changed since then, but some things have remained the same, Beaupre said during a recent interview.

Beaupre said Biddeford seemed like a much different community when he was growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s, laughing about working at his father’s appliance and furniture business and helping with deliveries. “It seemed like everyone lived on the third floor back then,” he chuckled. “It was a much different time.”

Beaupre has served under 14 different mayors during his career with the police department. Today, Mayor Alan Casavant said he clearly remembers being a member of the city council when Beaupre was named as acting chief of the department in 1980.

“I was just a young kid in my 20s back then,” Casavant said. “But I was always impressed by him; by his dedication and by his ability and willingness to keep pace with so many changes. He has an innate intuitiveness about the city. He’s been around a long time. He will be sorely missed, and it will not be easy to fill his shoes.”

Deputy Police Chief JoAnne Fisk said Biddeford was “lucky to have” Beaupre as the chief of its police department for so many years.

“His troops – whether civilian or patrol – are always his number one concern,” Fisk said of Beaupre. “He has high standards and high expectations, but he is also an incredible teacher and supporter of every man and woman in that department.”

Under Beaupre’s leadership, the Biddeford Police Department received a distinguished certification from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), a national organization that evaluates and certifies law enforcement agencies all over the country. According to its web site, CALEA was founded in 1979 and sets a “gold standard” that is attained by only a handful of agencies.

“Getting the CALEA certification was a huge and rigorous undertaking,” Fisk explained. “Only five percent of departments are able to attain that certification, which requires the highest and best standards.”

We sat down with Beaupre recently to discuss his career, his assessment of the community and his plans for retirement.

How has the city and its police department changed over the last 50 years?

“So much has changed. I went to the [police] academy in November 1972, before then there was no formal training required for officers. The department was housed in the City Hall building, and officers were generally regarded as not much more than glorified security guards who would walk a beat, checking the locks on doors of downtown businesses or serving as crossing guards for church services on Sunday mornings.

“Of course, the city has grown a lot since then, attracting many new residents from all over the place. When I started, everyone knew each other. You knew the families and you knew where the kids came from. If a kid got into trouble, a quick call to his father usually took care of the problem (Laughs). Neighbors talked to neighbors instead of calling the police.”

It sounds like you miss the old days.

“Sure, but I’m also excited about the future and proud of how this department operates today. In the old days, young people would hang out together on the street corners. Today, kids are more isolated and focused on their hand-held devices. There is actually less juvenile crime these days.”

Has the approach to law enforcement changed?

“Absolutely, as I said before, the public’s expectations of the police department has changed dramatically. There have also been giant leaps in technology. For example, the Biddeford Police Department was the first agency in the state of Maine to use mobile data terminals in patrol cars.

“The department has to keep pace with societal changes, too. In order to address those changes, we started doing things like hiring social workers, training school resource officers and creating a more proactive approach to community policing.”

How much has the department grown over the last 50 years?

When I started, we had 32 officers, one secretary and five civilian dispatchers. Today, the department consist of 55 sworn officers, 15 dispatchers and five civilian support personnel. Actually, I had to work hard to convince Mayor [‘Babe’] Dutremble to make the entire dispatching operation a civilian work force.

“It just didn’t make sense to me having trained officers performing dispatching duties. I saw it as a poor allocation of resources, but the mayor was really very hesitant about having civilians working in the police department.”

You’ve embraced change and weathered a lot of political storms during your career.

“Each different day brings about different challenges, but I pride myself on my ability to look at predictors. I am fortunately gifted in my ability to forecast and embrace changes. For me, it’s all about focusing on the job and the needs of the community. We leave no stone unturned when it comes to seeking out federal grants and community collaboration. For example, we have teamed with the University of New England and their students who are working on master’s degrees in social work.”

What’s next for you? Planning on retirement in Florida?

“No, [my wife] Penny is going to keep working for another year, but we are going to stick around. I actually like the four seasons, and I love this community.

What has been the highlight of your career?

“I am so thankful for the opportunity to work with such an amazing, dedicated and talented staff. I love their professionalism and their commitment to the community at large. Every day, I remain amazed by the compassion and patience of our team members. They continually strive for excellence and that makes me very proud.”

Randy Seaver can be contacted at randy@randyseaver.com.