Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office promotions and new hires

BANGOR – The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office recently promoted two deputies and hired two more.
Deputy John Knappe was promoted to detective and Deputy Roy Peary was promoted to sergeant.

(Detective John Knappe)

Knappe has been in law enforcement for 19 years, starting his career in Orono in 1992, before signing on with Brewer Police from 2000 to 2004. He deployed to Iraq with the Army Reserve with Scout Sniper Squad Leader with the 100th BN 442nd Infantry of Hawaii for a year and half. Upon his return in 2006, he joined the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office. He’s a member of the Special Response Team, which is deployed for high-risk incidents, including stand-offs and home invasions, and was awarded the SRT Member of the Year for 2009.
Knappe looks forward to conducting in-depth investigations for various scenes, including felony-level crimes.

(Sgt. Roy Peary)

Peary has been in law enforcement for around eight years. He began his career with the Old Town Police Department in August of 2003, before moving to the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.
As sergeant, he will support the other deputies on his crew, and arriving as backup to any major scenes.
“They’re outstanding employees. They’re dedicated to the agency and show a high level of professionalism and are responsive to the public,” said Chief Deputy Troy Morton.
Steven Saucier and Patty McLaughlin were hired as full-time patrol deputies.
Saucier worked for Searsport Police Department since 2002, and came on full time in 2004.

(Deputy Steven Saucier)

“One thing I like about it is the knowledge that you can make a positive difference in someone’s life,” said Saucier.

(Deputy Patricia McLaughlin)

McLaughlin worked for the Lincoln Police Department for three years. Prior to that she was a dispatcher for the Maine State Police and also worked in the district attorney’s office in Bangor.
“I’ve worked alongside [The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office] for years. I was just looking to become part of the agency,” she said. She noted that the independence of the work and the opportunity for growth were part of the appeal.
“It’s a great group of people to work with,” she said. “I’ve always been a part of their extended family. Now I’ve been welcomed into the fold.”