Mark Westrum The new Two Bridges jail adminstrator,i Mark Westrum, left, receives congratulations from Lincoln County Commissioner Sheridan Bond, right, following Westrum's appointment July 9. Bond also serves as chairman of the Lincoln/Sagadahoc Jail Authority. (Photo Charlotte Boynton)

Sagadahoc County Sheriff Mark Westrum has accepted the position of Correctional Administrator of the Two Bridges Regional Jail, and will resign his position as sheriff the first of September.

Westrum, who has served as sheriff since 1992 decided to switch careers last week from law enforcement to corrections, where he said his heart and soul has been for the past few years.

"This was a very hard decision for me to make, especially since I recently celebrated my 20 th year anniversary with the Sheriff's Department, including 16 years as Sheriff. I wish I could do both jobs," Westrum said when he was offered the position. "I know that is not possible."

He will stay on as Sheriff until the first of September. Governor John Baldacci will be asked to appoint an interim sheriff to serve until the November election when a new sheriff can be elected.

The operation of the jail is not new to Westrum. he has served as interim corrections administrator on two different occasions, when Wayne Applebee left to accept other employment in Florida, and again this past spring when Leonard LeGrand resigned unexpectedly.

Westrum was on the committee that began planning the first regional jail nearly 10 years ago, and was the first jail authority chairman to serve after the legislation passed to establish the Lincoln and Sagadahoc Multicounty Jail Authority on May 21, 2003, a 12 member board with six representatives from each county.

Westrum served as chairman during the planning and construction of the $24.6 million facility.

Lincoln County Commissioner Sheridan Bond, who also has been in on the planning, construction and operation of the jail from the beginning said, "He's perfect for the jail. He is a natural for the job. This will give the staff a well-needed sense of stability after two years of three administrators," Bond said.

Although the jail authority members present at the meeting Wednesday evening voted unanimously in favor of Westrum's appointment, Sagadahoc Commissioner Crispin Connery, who was not present, but on a conference call, abstained.

Asked this week his reason for abstaining, Connery said he was not satisfied with the due diligence of the selection by the jail authority, and secondly, "The county could have used Westrum's leadership in the healing process of the Sheriff's Department," referring to the recent turmoil within the department.

Westrum began his career in law enforcement at an early age beginning as a Bath Police Cadet, in 1975 while in grammar school. In 1979, after graduating from high school, at the age of 18, he began as a reserve officer on the Bath Police Department.

He later served the Topsham Police Department as a juvenile officer and sergeant before joining the Sagadahoc Sheriff's Department in 1988, serving as a detective, and then as chief deputy prior to being elected sheriff in 1992.

During Westrum's career in law enforcement he has been appointed, by the Governor of Maine to serve on the Maine Sentencing Commission, the Maine Corrections Alternatives Advisory Commission, Maine Domestic Abuse Commission, the intergovernmental Task Force, and the Maine Criminal Justice Commission. In addition he is an appointee to the National Sheriff's Association Youth/Crime Prevention Committee.

He is past president of the both the Maine Sheriff's Association, and the Maine Crime Prevention Association.

He has served on the board of directors of the Maine Chief's of Police Association, the New England Association of Chiefs of Police, and the New England Community Policing Institute, and is past chairman of the Maine Community Policing Institute.

Westrum was born and raised in Bath by a single mother. He speaks very candidly about the importance of mentors in his own life, and understands first-hand the challenges kids face growing up. He serves on the board of directors with the Fight Crime Invest in Kids, a national bipartisan, nonprofit anti-crime organization who researches on what keeps kids from becoming criminals and provides that information to policy makers and the public.

Westrum a holds a degree in Law Enforcement Technology from Southern Maine Technical College, and is a graduate of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy in Glycol, Georgia, the institute of Police Technology Management of the University of North Florida, and the National Crime Prevention Institute of the University of Louisville.

Westrum told the Authority he is proud of his accomplishments during his tenure as sheriff. "But it is time to expand my horizons. I've found new energy working in corrections and look forward to my new career with enthusiasm," Westrum said.