Veteran policeman a candidate for sheriff

FAIRFIELD — Alfred L. Hendsbee, a decorated, 20-year veteran of the Maine State Police, is the lone Democrat seeking nomination for sheriff of Somerset County.

Hendsbee, a Madison native residing in Fairfield, decided to run for the county’s top law enforcement post when approached by several police officers and Somerset County residents.

The internal and external problems in the Sheriff’s Department now can be resolved in short order, he said, if they still exist after the election.

Accountability is the key to a strong Sheriff’s Department, he said. “After all, we the taxpayers are paying for a professional department to serve us. Strong management is needed to ensure that our money is not wasted and that it is accounted for,” he added.

Hendsbee wants to cut the frills and get back to basic law enforcement, designed to serve and to protect the citizens.

Hendsbee is a graduate of the University of Maine with an associate degree in public administration. After 20 years with the Maine State Police, Hendsbee retired in 1990 to start his own detective agency.

“I gained a broader perspective of what law enforcement is all about and what the citizens expect from their police officers,” he said.

Hendsbee was twice nominated for Trooper of the Year and received the Outstanding Detective Award and numerous commendations during his service. He retired as a detective corporal with the criminal division in Augusta.