John Goggin Obituary, Death – We bid farewell to former Sheriff John Goggin, Piscataquis County employer, mentor, and friend, with heavy hearts. John committed his heart and soul to the residents of Piscataquis County for 45 years. He was a fantastic detective, an even better investigator, and a friend to many people. John saw no need for Community Policing in an era where authorities attended seminars and developed initiatives to build bridges between law enforcement and civilians. It’s how he lived and taught his men to live. We’ve come to assist our neighbors and friends. We don’t just come here to work; we come here to raise our families and to do everything we can to serve and defend our communities.
John taught me a lot of things. Being a Sheriff includes more than simply apprehending criminals. Days are instead spent in meetings, reading reports and performing research, formulating policies and budgets, and dealing with personnel problems. However, John was a street officer at heart. His eyes brightened up when he was given the opportunity to work on a huge case. He frequently reminded us that, while these crimes may be “cases” to us, they are life-changing events for the victims, and we do everything we can to assist them. He demonstrated that law enforcement was more than just making arrests. Problem solving, dispute resolution, and keeping an eye out for the weak and those in need were all part of the job.
He never allowed the role to become political, and he never investigated for personal advantage. If you were on solid legal ground and had a valid reason for what you were doing, he had your back.The Sheriff is simultaneously the jailer, civil processor, and chief law officer. He reminded us that we are dealing with people’s lives, so proceed with prudence, from 911 dispatch to prisons to street people. He maintained the mentality taught in him in the jail by his predecessor, Sheriff Frank Murch: every criminal is a human being who ought to be treated with dignity and respect.
He led the SO through cultural upheavals, critical legal rulings, emerging technologies, and a flood of new rules. If we were passionate about a new tool or procedure, he would not stop us, but he would remind us that crime is still best solved the old-fashioned way: talk to people; they know what you need to know. We appreciate the time he spent with us. Our thoughts are with his family. His memory will endure.
