AUGUSTA – The new head of the Maine State Police says his goals in the next four years include updating the agency’s computer system and boosting the ranks of the its work force.

Patrick Fleming, 44, was sworn in last Monday as the 17th chief of the state police. He replaced Craig Poulin, who left after nearly three years on the job to work for police unions.

Part of Fleming’s focus will be to increase the activities of the Computer Crimes Task Force targeting child pornography, white-collar crime, identity theft and video feeds from bank robberies.

He also hopes to increase the police ranks on the road. The number of police in the field has fallen from 207 in 1976 to 147 in 2005, he said.

“We have fewer people on the road now than we did in 1976,” Fleming said. “Over the years we have been tasked with more duties but haven’t been given the manpower to go along with it, so we’re pulling more people off the road to fill those extra positions.”

Fleming grew up in Hampden and joined the state police in 1984 out of college. He has a bachelor’s degree in management and an associate degree in criminal justice from the University of Maine.

After becoming a trooper, he patrolled in the Skowhegan area for nine years. In 1993, he was named detective and assigned to the Executive Protection Unit guarding Gov. John McKernan. He remained in that unit during Angus King’s eight years as governor and the first two years of Gov. John Baldacci’s first term.

In 2004, Fleming was put in charge of special investigations, which includes liquor licensing, gaming and weapons, gambling control and the Executive Protection Unit, which provides security for the governor and other dignitaries.

With his appointment as chief, Fleming rises in rank from lieutenant to colonel. He said his promotion has been a challenge and that the transition process is something he will address in the coming weeks and months.

“One thing that we don’t do very well, and I’ve been talking to the commissioner about this, is improving our career management,” he said. “Basically, as you move up through the ranks, the way the personnel system works is the person has to be gone before you fill their position, so there’s no real transition as you move in.”

At 6 feet 7 inches tall, Fleming is also known to be a skilled basketball player – so much so that he played with the Harlem Wizards, Harlem Rockets and the Court Jesters traveling comedy basketball teams for eight years when they visited Maine.

Fleming lives in Fairfield with his wife, Norleen, and their two sons.