Oxford Police Chief Michael Ward sits at his unusually clean desk 15 minutes before the end of his last day with OPD. Ward is retiring after 35 years in public service. A.M. Sheehan

OXFORD — At noon on Thursday, June 2, Oxford Police Chief Mike Ward said his last goodbyes to his department and headed off to “fly fish, golf and relax.” Well, for the moment.

After 35 years in public service, the 58-year-old Ward has a new plan. In fact, he is fulfilling his high school vision of what he would do as an adult: “own a convenience store.”

So after taking the month of June to relax, Ward will go to work “for a friend” at Polly’s Variety with the goal of learning the business and eventually buying it, he hopes.

“Lisa [Annance], the owner is an awesome person,” he says. “She is going to teach me all the business operations. When I was in high school my goal was to own a convenience store and here I am 40 years later!”

Ward graduated from Oxford Hills High School in 1982. After going to Andover College and earning his Associate’s degree in business administration, he joined Poland Rescue in 1986.

In 1987 he became a reserve deputy with the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office as well as a dispatcher and corrections officer with the county. From 1988-1998 he was an ACSO deputy contracted to the town of Poland as well as the D.A.R.E. Officer for Poland.

Then from 1998 to 2003 he worked as a D.A.R.E. officer and second-in-command Patrol Sgt. for the Mechanic Falls Police Department. He moved on to join the Oxford Police Department in 2004 where he stayed through 2008. In 2008 he went back to the ACSO filling the position of Chief Deputy for six months before returning to OPD in 2009. In 2018, he was appointed Oxford’s chief.

Ward chuckles, recalling policing when he began, 30 some odd years ago. “There were no body cams [cameras], no cruiser cams, no computers, no cell phones. Now, we can do everything in the car!”

“We are very fortunate,” Ward says of working in law enforcement in Maine. “Mainers support their police. Otherwise, the job would be impossible.”

Ward says some highlights of his career include working as a D.A.R.E. officer in Poland, Mechanic Falls and Minot. “Building relationships with the kids that I still have today.”

“As chief, my goal has been to make sure the citizens have faith in their police department and I think I have achieved that.

“[They] definitely need to have trust and confidence in us. I know, and I think they know, that when they call, we’ll be there.”

Ward says he has no real regrets.

“I have made some decisions and learned from them and next time would do it a bit differently,” he says, noting that the job is always a learning process.

“One thing that bothered me was seniors getting scammed by criminals from overseas so we couldn’t get their money back.”

“I would do it [be a police officer] all again!”

‘However,” he adds, “I won’t miss being on call 24/7. But I will miss the people I work with and the citizens of Oxford.”

Ward is highly thought of in his department and by the town.

“Michael has turned this department around,” says Cpt. Rickie Jack, second-in-command at OPD, “and he is going to be missed.”

The shiny new badge the staff and fellow officers of the Oxford Police Department gave to Ward as a retirement and farewell gift. A.M. Sheehan

The 2021 Town Report has been dedicated to Ward. It notes Ward is an avid outdoors man, spending his free time hunting, snowmobiling, fly fishing and golfing.

“His humor is as quick as his smile and [he] is always there to lend a helping hand to those in need,” the report reads.

“Cpt. Jack is taking over as Interim Chief,” says Ward. “They [the department] are in really good hands. I have worked with him since 2004 and have the utmost respect and confidence in him to do an outstanding job.”