ROCKLAND – Knox County Sheriff Tim Carroll is about to switch uniforms and shorten his morning commute by a smidge. In a move that creates a full-circle effect, Carroll has been hired to become the next chief of Rockland Police Department.

Having started his law enforcement career with Rockland in 1991, Carroll has paddled through an ebb and flow tide of public safety related positions in coastal Maine, stemming from his University of Maine degree in legal technology and holding water with a background formed by Maine Marine Patrol work, municipal police patrol, and community service.

Wednesday, July 6, 2022, Rockland City Council will officially vote its approval of the personnel board’s decision, June 29, to hire Tim Carroll as Rockland Police Chief. Carroll, a Midcoast native, is currently the sheriff of Knox County, a position he’s held since 2018. Following the vote, Carroll will be sworn in, and officially steps into his new role Monday, July 11.

Carroll states that this latest career change presents a new opportunity for himself and his family, and hopes to retire where it all began – after a long tenure as chief of the department, he added.

Nationally, retention and recruitment rates among police officers are way down, and Carroll’s first mission for RPD is to steady an unsettled membership.

“Hopefully I can go in there and build an atmosphere of teamwork and togetherness, and make it a positive atmosphere where people want to stay, as well as want to come and be a part of the Rockland Police Department,” said Carroll, in a phone interview.

Carroll has gained a reputation in previous years for his work with jail system reform and also for revving up awareness and seeking solutions regarding the local drug epidemic. However, Carroll cites the strong team that has been at his side along the way.

“There’s still much work to do, but I’m leaving it in a good place with good people – good staff that will continue working hard to do what is necessary regarding the work that needs to be done in the corrections field, as well as a great crew on the road as far as patrol work.

“I don’t feel anything negative regarding my leaving there [Knox County Sheriff’s Office],” he said. “It’s a great group of people who can continue on doing the work that we have started doing, and we’ve had some successes with the work that we are doing,” he said. “And now I have the opportunity to work with great professionals, and do some good work for Rockland as well.”

For more information on Tim Carroll, see our previous article: 

Tim Carroll campaigns for Knox County Sheriff’s seat: ‘Put citizens first, make our county safer’

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com