BELFAST — Waldo County Sheriff Jason Trundy has reported that there have recently been a number of promotions at the Department, as well as a single retirement. 

Patrol Sergeant Cody Laite has been promoted to patrol lieutenant. Laite joined the WSO in 2012, where he worked as deputy sheriff until 2016, when he was promoted to patrol sergeant until his most recent promotion in 2023 to patrol lieutenant. 

Some of Lieutenant Laite’s special training includes: forensic mapping, crash reconstruction, police training officer, and defensive tactics instructor. He is also a volunteer wrestling coach with the mid-coast Camden wrestling program, according to Trundy’s media release. 

Laite graduated from Beal College as valedictorian, earning an associate’s degree in criminal justice.

Chad Foley has been promoted to patrol sergeant. Foley served in the Maine Army National Guard 185th Engineer Support Company, and is a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Military Police School. He also served active duty in Iraq with the 94th MP company, first Brigade, third Infantry Division, later transferring to the 94th MP Company, second Brigade, first Division.

Foley is an avid firearms enthusiast and a lifelong member of the NRA, according to Trundy’s release. 

His law enforcement experience is extensive, beginning with the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department correction officer from 1996-1999. Foley then spent 12 years working for the Bangor Police Department, leaving in 2011 to work at the Judicial Marshall’s Office, where he remained until 2015. During this time he also worked for the Caribou Police Department, where he served from 2013-2015. 

In 2015 Foley began a two-year employment with the Aroostook County SO, moving to the Maine Secretary of State, Motor Vehicle Detective from 2017-2019.He worked for the Penobscot County SO most recently, from 2019-2021, though he also served with their office from 1991-1996.

Foley attended Bangor Community College.

Frank Pellerin, who has almost 18 years of law enforcement experience, has been promoted to detective. Seventeen of those years were spent with the Portland Police Department. Pellerin also served seven years in the U.S. Marine Corp. 

Pellerin has specialized training as a patrol officer, as a patrol sergeant, evidence technician training, and extensive crime scene and evidence processing experience. 

Pellerin is reportedly 12 credits short of a bachelor’s degree in psychology, which he studied at St. Joseph’s College.

Joshua Staples, who has worked for the WSO since 2018, has been promoted to detective. In 2019, he graduated from the 36th Basic Law Enforcement Training Company. 

Staples has specialized training as a standard field sobriety instructor, intoxilyzer instructor, and intoxilyzer site coordinator. He also has a bachelor of science degree in Ecology and Environmental Services from the University of Maine. 

Dennis Townsend, who has 17 years of law enforcement experience has been hired as deputy sheriff. Townsend previously served 14 years at the Bangor Police Department, from 2002-2016. He also worked two years with the Greenville PD, and one year with Clinton PD. 

He has specialized training methods of arrest restraint and control instructor.

Townsend obtained an associate’s degree in law enforcement from Southern Maine Community College.

While most of the changes at the WSO are upward, one longtime member of the department took an altogether different direction: retirement. 

According to Sheriff Trundy, James Porter began his career with Waldo County in 1989, when he began working as a part-time dispatcher and part-time corrections officer. Porter transitioned to full-time dispatcher in Jan. of 1990, where he served until Spring of 1993. Porter was then hired as a full-time patrol deputy for the WSO, where he remained until being promoted to patrol sergeant in 2004. 

Following six years of working as shift supervisor, Porter returned to the role of patrol deputy, where he remained until he retired in 2022. 

Over the course of his law enforcement career, Porter attained many certifications and instructor titles, including; radar instructor, field training officer, firearms instructor, defensive tactics instructor, intoxilyzer site coordinator and instructor, among others.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com