Eric O’Brien has been a Kennebunk police officer, sergeant and lieutenant, and was named Deputy Chief of the department this spring, following the retirement Michael Nugent. Tammy Wells Photo

KENNEBUNK – When Eric O’Brien was growing up in Wells, like many, he was a Boy Scout, and he is among those who achieved his Eagle Scout.

When it came time for him to consider a career, he chose law enforcement – there are similarities, he noted.

“Scouts have a sense of service to their community,” he said. He also found the law enforcement field appealing.

This spring, O’Brien, 44, was appointed Deputy Police Chief in Kennebunk after working through the ranks from officer to sergeant, and to lieutenant before being named as the department’s second in command.

O’Brien tested out his interest in law enforcement by starting as a summer officer in Wells in 1998 and became a full-time officer there a year later. He earned an associate degree in law enforcement technology and remained with his hometown department until 2004, when he took a job with the Kennebunk Police Department. He has since completed his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Husson University. In 2016, he received the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Trilogy Award in 1916 for completing all three executive leadership classes, said Chief Robert MacKenzie.

As deputy chief, O’Brien is responsible for professional development, training, policies, supervising the detective division and more – like recruiting and hiring officers in conjunction with Lt. Chris Russell

He likes baseball – as does his 14-year-old daughter, and they, along with a couple of his brothers made a recent trip to Fenway Park to see a game.

“I love the Red Sox,” he said.

Married, O’Brien described himself as a homebody who  enjoys weekend get-togethers with family members, many of whom live in the area.

He likes to laugh – and is a bit of a practical joker, describing, when asked, a stunt he engineered involving then-deputy police chief Michael Nugent, who retired earlier this year.  He noted a television crew was arriving one day to interview Nugent, so he grabbed a stuffed toy cat with a long tail and stuck it up into the dropped ceiling, rearranging a ceiling tile so just the tail emerged into the office. The TV crew noticed, as did Nugent, the latter knowing exactly who to blame.

“He shot me a look,” said O’Brien, recalling the moment with a grin.

Now, he said, he has to cut back on that sort of thing.

As for the community he serves, O’Brien pointed out that Kennebunk has been named the safest town in Maine by various organizations and companies for the past several years. The town has been among the top 10 in the years it did not hit the number one spot.

The crime rate may be low, but it does exist, he said – there are incidents from domestic violence crimes to  vehicle burglaries, and others, like impaired driving.

Speeding is the number one complaint by residents, and the town has recently launched a “Slow Down Kennebunk,” campaign.

Kennebunk’s year-round population of close to 12,000 is double or more in the summertime, bringing challenges, he said.

Another challenge is filling vacancies – an issue for many police departments across Maine and the nation.

Kennebunk has 24 positions and as of June 25, there were three full-time vacancies, and few applicants.

“Probably my biggest challenge is trying to recruit officers,” he said.

O’Brien recalled when he was hired full-time in Wells in 1999, there was so much interest, applicants were required to take an initial test before proceeding on with the process – a system prevalent in many other departments in those days.

“It is a problem nationwide,” he said, as young people look to choices that provide more life-work balance than does working various shifts that include holidays and weekends in an industry that is a 24/7 operation.

For the last several years, the Kennebunk Police Department has hired summertime community service officers who conduct parking enforcement and community relations. It can be merely a summer job – but can also spark interest in a career as a police officer, he said.

“It’s a good way to get a foot in the door and learn about the police department,” O’Brien said. He said some community service officers have gone on to become officers with the department.

MacKenzie said O’Brien has previously served as patrol commander as well as the criminal investigations/support services commander – and therefore has experience in all aspects in the operations of the department.

“Eric has earned the respect of the staff within KPD and those in the community,” said MacKenzie. ” (He) is well prepared to be second in command and I have full faith in his abilities to assist me in moving KPD forward in a positive direction.”