BANGOR, Maine — The Bangor Police Relief Association celebrated a milestone of 100 years.
To celebrate the milestone Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows delivered a proclamation to the organization. To complement the festivities a large cake was served.
The association provides assistance to disabled police officers and survivor benefits to families of the deceased.
The Bangor Police Department was founded in 1889. Subsequently, the Bangor Police Relief Association was formed. The Bangor Police Relief Association is an organization within Bangor Police Department.
Bellows explained the Bangor Police Relief Association has been filing with the Secretary of State as an auxiliary organization to the Bangor Police Department for 100 years.
Vice president of the association, Keith Larby, basked in the moment.
"It's fantastic for us. We are very, very appreciative of the secretary of state taking time out of her day to come down and present us with this 100th-year certificate. It's really great for our camaraderie. It kind of bridges that gap between retired officers and our current officers," Larby said.
A gap in time as one retired officer, Chip Hodges, reminisced on the years gone by.
"I started [with] the Bangor Police Department in 1980 and retired in 2012. There were a lot of changes in my time. It's been a lot of changes since then. I'm not sure I could handle some of the things these guys do now," Hodges said.
Current and retired police officers reflected on their achievements and shared stories of the past and their shared vision for the future.