Junior Officer From Houlton Patrols Across the United States

A youngster from Houlton who aspires to join the force when he is old enough has been doing "ride along's" with officers and departments across the United States. The officer known as Deklan, has become a popular figure in the law enforcement community in Houlton and the community is supporting his dreams.  

The Houlton Police Department Facebook page updated us on the latest project involving Decklan. His uncle wanted to keep the passion for law enforcement alive in Deklan, so he made picture cutouts of Deklan in his uniform, and sent a letter along with the cutouts to departments all across the country. As the post states, agencies are realizing the importance of supporting the youth who have a desire to work in law enforcement down the road. Many departments are starting to feel the crunch as a willingness to work in law enforcement seems to be fleeting day by day.

It's one thing to send out the letter and cutouts, it's another to receive a huge response! There have been pictures of Decklan with officers that have come back from around 30 departments and forces across the U.S. That is amazing! Police departments from Alaska, California, Florida, and Texas are just a few of the agencies who have responded to and taken Deklan on a "ride along”. Great work by the Houlton Police Department, Deklan, and his uncle.  

We need more stories like this and we need to present a more positive message around law enforcement to our youth today. They need to understand that the officers are here to help us. They are our friends, neighbors, and family!