Detective Marc Bowering is retiring after 20 years with the Farmington Police Department. His last day is Friday. Sun Journal photo by Donna M. Perry

FARMINGTON — Being a detective can be stressful and it can be extremely rewarding, Marc Bowering said Thursday. He has handled thousands of cases over the past 20 years, 18 as a detective.

Bowering, 54, of Wilton is retiring from the Farmington Police Department on Friday. People are invited to wish him well in his retirement at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at the department on Franklin Avenue.

The department is also losing Office Manager Bonnie Pomeroy who has been there for 14 years. Her last day is Friday. She is going to work in banking.

Bowering got his first interest in law enforcement as a child when his father, the late Bob Bowering, was a deputy sheriff and a deputy Maine warden.

“My family has been a service-oriented family,” Marc Bowering said.

He became an Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts and from there he gravitated toward law enforcement.

He went into the U.S. Army and served for four years as a combat engineer.

“I just like helping people, especially people who might not be able to help themselves,” he said. He also likes the satisfaction of getting closure for people, he said.

Bowering began his career at the Wilton Police Department where he worked for 10 years. He moved on to Farmington and spent one year each on patrol and with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. When he returned, he was promoted to detective.

“I like solving crimes that are complex in nature because it gives me the satisfaction that means I did a good job and was able to bring closure,” Bowering said. “Not every case I work has a good outcome, but I have always tried my best to do my best.”

He has seen many changes in law enforcement over the years, from what they carry on their duty belts to protective gear and coverings. His duty belt and protective vest weigh 25 to 30 pounds, he said.

They used computers when he started but were still doing department reports on carbon copies. Now they do reports on computers.

Other changes occurred in computer systems, firearms and training. There is a lot more in-depth, complex training, including how to work with people who have mental health issues, he said. Officers also are trained on automated external defibrillators to help people in cardiac distress. And crimes used to drop off during the winter months, but police are now busy year-round.

He plans to stay in law enforcement when he retires.

“Right now, I have a couple of options available to me. I am just deciding what is best for me and my family,” Bowering said.

His family includes his wife, Beckie, a teenage daughter, a son and stepson in college, and a married daughter who has a new child, making him a grandfather.

He also has his law enforcement family.

“Throughout my career, I work and have worked with extremely professional officers who at the end of the day just want to do what is right and do their best,” he said.

“I think law enforcement is an extremely rewarding profession and I just hope that throughout the years I have made a difference in some people’s lives to make their lives better for themselves.”