Lisbon Police Chief Marc Hagan has been tapped to serve as Topsham’s new police chief starting in mid-September. Contributed photo

TOPSHAM — Lisbon Police Chief Marc Hagan has been tapped to serve as Topsham’s new police chief starting in mid-September.

Hagan, who has served as Lisbon’s police chief for the past four years, comes to Topsham with 30 years of law enforcement experience. He takes the place of Topsham’s former chief, Christopher Lewis, who resigned in early July to work as a sergeant for the Hallowell Police Department.

According to Town Manager Derek Scrapchansky, Hagan was chosen from a pool of nine applicants, three of whom were interviewed for the position by a group of community leaders.

“We are excited to have Marc on our team,” Scrapchansky said in a news release. “Marc is a proven leader who brings a wealth of experience and focus on community policing. Topsham is fortunate to have a new chief who has a clear passion for serving the citizens of Topsham and will lead the Topsham Police Department to the next level.”

Hagan started his career with the Brunswick Police Department, working his way from patrol officer to patrol commander. He oversaw day-to-day operations, wrote policies, and planned for major events such as the Great State of Maine Air Show.

Hagan retired from Brunswick Police Department in 2016 to serve as Lisbon’s chief of police.

Hagan praised the men and women of the Lisbon Police Department and the Lisbon community.

“They have supported me since day one and for that, I’ll be forever grateful,” he said Wednesday. However, “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come home and serve my own community.”

While he was born in and grew up in Brunswick, Hagan moved to Topsham 21 years ago and that’s where he raised his children. He said it’s where his home is now.

“I firmly believe a police department needs to be directly involved in the community we’re entrusted to serve so a police department should work hard to ensure it had good relations within its community,” Hagan said.

That requires good communication, and that’s where he will start, Hagan said. It doesn’t mean Topsham police don’t already have a good relationship with its community.

He expects the department to be transparent and involved in the community.

“We’re going to be open, we’re going to be using Facebook, we’re going to communicate any way possible,” Hagan said. “I”m going to meet with anyone who wants to meet with me. We’ll be involved with the schools, involved with the neighborhood, involved with the stores; anyone who wants to work with us we’re going to work with.”

His work with the community in Lisbon is what he’s most proud of during his tenure there.  Lisbon Town Manager Diane Barnes called him community-oriented and said he went into the schools and to the local recreation center and library and would join in activities.

“He was a great asset to the town of Lisbon,” she said. “He’s made a lot of great changes to the police department and has moved the police department forward.”

Barnes said Hagan created programs that allow the police department to check on seniors every morning and get bucks of sand to residents who need it in the winter, for example.

“I really wish him the best,” she said. “He’s going to do a tremendous job for the town of Topsham.”

Scrapchansky said the town hasn’t determined Hagan’s salary.