HOULTON, Maine — On the 50th anniversary of his father taking the oath to become sheriff of Aroostook County, Darrell Crandall followed in his dad’s footsteps on Friday.
In front of a packed house of colleagues, former colleagues, friends and family in Aroostook County Superior Court in Houlton, Crandall was administered the sheriff’s oath by Michael Carpenter, a local attorney. The ceremony was supposed to take place across the street at the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office, but the turnout and support for Crandall was so great that the swearing-in ceremony had to be moved to a larger facility.
More than 60 people attended the event, driving from as far away as the St. John Valley, including personnel from the Maine State Police, Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office, Maine Warden Service, Presque Isle Police Department, Houlton Police Department, State Fire Marshal’s Office and more. Some attendees worked with Crandall’s father, Darrell Crandall Sr.
During a short speech, the new sheriff noted that he was “overwhelmed” by the number of people who showed up to support him. He said that a lot of his success was achieved with the support of colleagues and his family.
He also pointed out that it was a tough time for law enforcement in both the state and the nation.
“Violence has changed,” he said. “Substance abuse has changed and become worse.”
But he added that the public still had the same expectations for police officers, including that they were “there to serve and protect them and to safeguard their property.”
“They really expect us to respect their rights,” he continued.
Crandall has built an expansive career in law enforcement. The new sheriff spent 29 years with the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office, having started as a guard at the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton in the summer of 1985. Sheriff Edgar Wheeler selected him as a patrol deputy the following year, and he was promoted to sergeant in 1993. In 2005, he was promoted again, to lieutenant, by newly retired Sheriff Jim Madore.
He also spent more than 20 years assigned to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, 12 of those years as a supervisor and eight as the division commander. While there, he was instrumental in creating MDEA’s drug lab response team. Crandall led that team for 14 years. In 2007, Crandall developed a comprehensive training program on professional ethics he shared with hundreds of police and correctional officers in Maine. He also taught classes on effective report writing, criminal investigations and constitutional law.
He became the chief deputy of the sheriff’s department in 2013 and was made responsible for leading more than 50 employees in the corrections, law enforcement and support services divisions.
Crandall noted in a recent interview that his father, Darrell Crandall Sr., has always been his role model. His father was sheriff of the department from January 1965 until he retired in 1983.
After he was sworn in, Crandall’s badge was pinned on by his wife, Jane. His daughters Clarissa and Becca and his stepson Riley Fitzpatrick were in attendance.
The sheriff’s salary for 2015 is $75,943.
Afterwards, Crandall swore in Chief Deputy Shawn Gillen.
In his speech, Crandall also pointed out the nine tenets of policing written by Sir Robert Peel, a social reformist in Great Britain who served as prime minister and home secretary, and who is often known as “The Founder of Modern Policing.” Peel created the Metropolitan Police based on nine principles he developed for law enforcement.
As he rattled off the principles, which mandate that police should exist to prevent crime and disorder, police should always demonstrate impartial service to the law and not cater to public opinion and more, Gillen stood by his side until the end.
“We pledge to you that on our watch, we will adhere to these principles and continue to faithfully serve our neighbors just as the sheriff’s office has for the last 175 years,” said Crandall. “We will remain grounded in our rich history and tradition while constantly focusing on how we may improve.”