The Washington County Sheriff's Office is now accepting applications for patrol and correction positions.   Please call Paula Johnson-Rolfe at 255-4422 for an application.

    Welcome to the Sheriff's Office of Washington County, Maine. The headquarters of the Sheriff's Office is in Machias, the county seat. Eleven deputies in the patrol division protect and serve the residents of the county, while the jail is served by 24 staff members. The Sheriff's Office works cooperatively with the Maine State Police and city police departments throughout the county, as well as the Maine Forest Service, Maine Warden Service, Department of Marine Resources and Department of Homeland Security. 

    Our mission is to make Washington County a safe and hospitable place to live, work, and raise a family, serving all without fear or favor. The members of the Sheriff's Office hold themselves to the highest standard, providing our citizens the most professional, most ethical, and best-trained department in the State of Maine. They are subject to regular drug and alcohol testing for all employees; establish a physical-fitness standard and hold quarterly inspections of all Sheriff's Office employees and equipment. To make certain the Sheriff's Office serves all the residents of Washington County fairly and properly, I have established a community review committee/board of visitors and tasked them with assessing the performance of the agency and making suggestions for improvements and enhancements to fulfill our mission.

    Beyond the requirements of enforcement of the law, the Sheriff's Office tries, through education and advocacy, to help prevent crime and enhance the communities in which we serve. We have made it a priority to provide drug education in schools countywide, utilizing law enforcement officers. This not only provides information, but helps to establish a connection and regular contact between law enforcement and students and faculty. We also make ourselves available to meet with and speak before any group or organization, covering areas as diverse as home safety and burglary prevention to aiding elderly and vulnerable citizens better able to protect themselves from scams and those who would prey on them. 
     
     Being a large and rural county, on the border with Canada, the Sheriff's Office requires certain specialized units. We have a K-9 team, headed up by Sgt. Richard Rolfe and his K-9 partner Gunnar, with Sheriff Donnie Smith and Ginger. The K-9 teams are trained and certified in missions as varied as search and rescue and drug interdiction. Chief Deputy Mike St. Louis leads the computer crimes task force. Supervisor Karina Richardson and Lt Travis Willey work with the Sex Offender Registry, ensuring compliance with registration and reporting requirements for local offenders. 

Sheriff Donnie Smith