AUGUSTA – A state police trooper whose investigation of a camp break-in uncovered 19 other burglaries and led to three arrests and recovery of nearly all stolen items was honored Tuesday as the Maine State Police Trooper of the Year for 2005.

Trooper Scott Stevens, who has patrolled northern Franklin County for a decade, was chosen from 11 nominees for the top honor. Stevens, of Coplin Plantation, was honored along with several others during a ceremony attended by Gov. John Baldacci and Maine’s top state police officials.

Col. Craig Poulin said Stevens, “truly embodies the time-honored moniker of local trooper” because of his familiarity with the public and local law enforcement agencies, attributes that have served him well in the rural area where Stevens patrols.

In addition to solving the string of camp break-ins, Stevens is credited with defusing a potentially violent situation in Kingfield that was sparked by a dispute between a landlord and tenant in which the landlord pulled a knife.

With his “easy demeanor,” Stevens was able to quiet the situation and make an arrest, said Poulin.

The Legendary Trooper Award was presented to Harry Bailey, also a former legislator with whom Baldacci served. During his 20-year state police career, Bailey cracked several major drug smuggling cases, including one in 1978 in which 50,000 pounds of marijuana were confiscated.

Among the others recognized Tuesday were polygraph examiner Warren Ferland, who received a certificate of appreciation for his work in helping to secure a confession from a murder suspect in Lewiston in 2004. The suspect ultimately received a 15-year sentence for manslaughter.