Sheriff

Governor Janet Mills appointed Patrick William Polky as the Sheriff of Knox County on July 28, 2022, filling the remainder of the former Sheriff's term. He ran for the office that same year and was elected in November 2022. He took office on January 1, 2023. He is committed to providing the communities of Knox County with the best services possible and hopes to be reelected in November 2026.

Patrick is a lifelong resident of Knox County, having been born in Rockport and raised and currently living in Saint George. He graduated from George Valley High School in 1995. After graduation, he enlisted for active service in the U.S. Army and served as a Cannon Crew Member until 1998. He returned to Maine to pursue a career in firefighting and emergency medical services. He attended studies for an associate degree in Fire Science Technologies at Southern Maine Technical College, where he also participated in a firefighting live-in program with the Scarborough Fire Department. During these studies, his career goals and aspirations shifted toward criminal justice.

Patrick started his criminal justice career with the Town of Camden in 1999. His first assignments were as a Parking Enforcement Officer and part-time Police Dispatcher. In 2000, he accepted a full-time Patrol Officer position on the night shift at Camden Police Department. In 2011, Camden promoted him to Patrol Sergeant. In 2013, an opportunity to continue pursuing his collegiate studies presented itself, so he resigned from his position and became a full-time student, pursuing an undergraduate degree in Public Administration at the University of Phoenix.

In 2014, life events halted Patrick's collegiate studies, and he returned to law enforcement with the Knox County Sheriff's Office. He was hired as a Contract Patrol Deputy for the island of North Haven. In 2015, he accepted a full-time Rural Patrol Deputy position, and within less than a year, he was promoted to Patrol Supervisor. In 2017, he was promoted to Patrol Administrator, and in 2019, Sheriff Tim Carroll appointed him Chief Deputy. He holds current certification from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) as a Law Enforcement Officer, Corrections Officer, and Law Enforcement and Corrections Instructor.

Patrick graduated from the 96th Municipal County Basic Police School in 2001 at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro, Maine; he was recognized as the most professional student in that class. He has also attended supervisory, command, and executive leadership classes, including the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association, the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, and the National Incident Management System.

Other than leadership, Patrick's focus and specialty within law enforcement was impaired driving enforcement. He was certified by the International Association of Chiefs of Police as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) from 2005 to 2018. He was an instructor for the State of Maine DRE program and a co-lead instructor of the MCJA Impaired Driving Enforcement Program. He remains certified as an instructor and currently specializes in leadership development.

Patrick is retired from the military, with over 21 years of combined service. After his discharge from active service in 1998, he re-entered military service in 1999 with the Maine Army National Guard as a Technical Engineer. During his service, he was promoted and assigned to several positions, including Squad Leader, Detachment Non-commissioned Officer, Platoon Sergeant, Support Operations Non-commissioned Officer, and First Sergeant. He served in two combat deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the first in 2006 and the second in 2010.

Patrick has been recognized several times throughout his law enforcement career for exemplary service and performance, most notably for his life-saving measures during a critical incident in 2016. He was recognized for exemplary service several times throughout his military career, receiving awards including the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Services Achievement Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and the Distinguished Order of Saint Martin.

Patrick continues his educational pursuits, working part-time at the University of Maine, Augusta, toward an undergraduate degree in applied science with a minor in public administration. He anticipates graduating in the Spring of 2025. 

SELECTION& TENURE - The Constitution of the State of Maine states, "...sheriffs shall be elected by the people of their respective counties, by a plurality of the votes given in on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November, and shall hold their offices for 4 years from the first day of January next after their election, unless sooner removed...".

QUALIFICATIONS - Maine Revised Statute Title 30-A states, "...a person may not be appointed to the office of sheriff, be a candidate for election to the office of sheriff or serve as sheriff of any county in the State unless the candidate meets the following qualifications:  A. The candidate swears to or affirms the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics; B. The candidate has never been convicted of a Class C or higher crime; C. The candidate applies to the Secretary of State for a criminal background investigation; D. The candidate submits written certification from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy that the candidate:  (1) Is currently certified as a law enforcement officer and has met the basic law enforcement training standards under Title 25, section 2804‑C; or (3) Was previously certified as a law enforcement officer and agrees to meet the basic law enforcement training standards under Title 25, section 2804‑C within one year of taking office; and E. The candidate swears to or affirms that the candidate has at least 2 years of supervisory employment experience in law enforcement or corrections or a combination of both and submits the name, address and telephone number for the relevant employer or employers...".

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES - Maine Revised Statute Title 30-A states, "...the office of county sheriff is a full-time office in each county. The duties of the county sheriff include law enforcement, jail administration and court services, with irregular hours, requiring a nonstandard work schedule..." and "... shall act as the chief county law enforcement officer and is responsible for administering and directing the sheriff's department as authorized by the county budget. The sheriff shall inform the county commissioners of sheriff's department activities on a regular basis...". 

The Sheriff can perform: Civil Process; Patrol; Communications centers; Detention (Jail(s)); Investigations, intelligence or laboratory services; Rescue services; Ambulance services; Juvenile services, Temporary holding capacity; Administrative services, Victim and witness support; Aid to other law enforcement agencies; and Parking enforcement specialists.