On June 20, Sergeant Jacob “Jake” Powers was sworn in as the newest full-time member of Boothbay Harbor Police Department, following six months as a reserve officer working on his days off while with Rockport PD, where he served for six years. Prior to that, he served with Maine State Police, Troop D, in Augusta, and Waldo County Sheriff’s Office.

Powers is a Whitefield resident and a native of Appleton. He graduated from Camden Hills Regional High School and University of Maine in Orono. Wife Lyndsey is a graduate of Boothbay Region High School.

Powers told the Register in a recent interview, he wanted to be in public service since childhood. At first, he was interested in being a game warden like a family friend but opted instead for police work after learning about the job during ride alongs when he was in college.

Asked if anything surprises him, he said that after being a full-time officer for a number of years, nothing surprises him anymore. “You see people at their best and at their worst – all of the spectrum.” Powers took crisis intervention training which, he explained, teaches responders how to deal with someone who is in crisis like mental health issues, autism, or simply stress.  His Boothbay Harbor field training was with Pat Higgins and Nick Upham as they responded to calls.

“You never know who you’ll run into,” Powers said. “Domestics are dangerous and ‘routine traffic stops’ – there’s no such thing because you never know who’s operating the vehicle. You have to be very vigilant on every stop and every call.”

Most of the major calls he sees are for mental health, overdoses, or crisis EMS, Powers said. He carries NARCAN (naloxone) with him as well as AEDs because often a police officer can get to a life and death situation faster than EMS.

Powers expressed concern that often the community does not understand why the police cannot do more in certain situations. As an example, he said drugs create mental health issues and local police are called to respond. “It’s a huge issue. Law enforcement can bring someone to a hospital for an evaluation but the hospital releases them and we get called back again.”

Often, the public blames police for a situation but Powers said police cannot stop or prevent something if a crime has not been committed. “That would be violating a person’s rights,” he pointed out.

Powers said most of the people he sees in Boothbay Harbor are “everyday” people and he tries to put a positive spin on a situation by educating people. He is patient with people unless they are dangerous. “I let people talk and vent. Sometimes people need someone else to talk to.” Powers said sometimes after domestic violence calls people will apologize or thank him. “I love dealing with the people,” he said. “Everyone is very nice.”

“His personality and demeanor on calls” was Chief Doug Snyder’s answer when asked why he thought Powers was a good fit for his department. “He listens and he takes time to understand the situation before acting.”

Snyder said Powers’ background, coming from a small town and the fact he has ties here to the community through his wife’s family made him a good choice. “He handles himself well,” Snyder said.

And how does Powers decompress when away from work? He enjoys hiking and activities with his family, and he works out after his shift. “I don’t dwell on anything. I keep positive.”