Cote promoted to lieutenant
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
HOULTON — Hard work and dedication sometimes do pay off. Just ask John Cote of the Maine State Police.
Photo courtesy of the Maine StatePolice
SWORN IN — Houlton native John Cote, right, was sworn in as the new lieutenant for Troop F of the Maine State Police last week during a special ceremony at the barracks. Swearing Cote in is Col. Robert Williams.
A 24-year veteran of the force, Cote was promoted to the rank of lieutenant at Troop F, the highest rank one can achieve at a regional branch, during a swearing-in ceremony July 23 at the barracks. More than 70 people attended the brief ceremony to see Cote, a Houlton native and current resident of Mars Hill, sworn in as the new commanding officer of Troop F.
For the past year, Cote has served as the acting lieutenant, filling in for Mark Brooks, who was called up for military service last year. When he returned from active duty, Brooks become the new lieutenant of Troop C in Skowhegan.
Col. Robert Williams swore in Cote.
Graduating from the Criminal Justice Academy, Cote was assigned to Troop F in 1989 and spent the majority of his career in the criminal division, investigating homicides and suspicious deaths in northern Maine. The criminal division is now called the Major Crimes Unit. In 1995, he was promoted to the rank of detective. In 2000, he was promoted to sergeant, a role he filled until July 2012 when he stepped in for Lt. Brooks.
Prior to joining the state police, Cote served with the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department and the Millinocket Police Department for about four years combined.
“As a detective, I was part of a division that oversaw Aroostook and Washington counties,” Cote explained. “I was raised in Houlton and now live in Mars Hill. This (Aroostook County) is really where I wanted to be.”
Cote is also the assistant commander of the underwater recovery team, which takes him across the state for diving investigations.
“That’s the beauty of being in the state police, there are so many ways you can diversify,” he said. “I tell people all the time, ‘If you work for the state police and you get bored, it’s your own fault.’ There are so many ways to add skills, whether it’s the diving team or a tactical negotiator or a firearms instructor.”
He became interested in diving while at the police academy.
“They needed a diver up in The County, to provide a quick response,” he explained. “Basically, there are 10 members of the team that are strategically placed throughout the state so we can have a diver on site with short notice.”
Cote was with the dive team that recovered the murder weapon in the Amity triple homicide a few years ago and has been involved with recovering a commercial fisherman off the coast of Maine.
One of his top priorities in his new position, Cote said, is maintaining the high level of agency cooperation shared with local police, the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
“That collaboration is something you don’t see in other parts of the state,” he said. “You don’t have to stray too far out of The County before that becomes evident. As a result of that teamwork and information sharing, there is better service to the citizens.”
As lieutenant, Cote is responsible for all the administrative aspects of running Troop F, as well as providing any necessary support for training. Troop F typically carries a compliment of 18 troopers, but currently has just 15.
“One of my primary jobs is to get those positions filled,” he said. “We are focusing on recruiting people, particularly those from The County, who will want to return and serve here.”
He would also like to see two additional positions added to Troop F — a detective and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency liaison.
Never one to sit idly behind the desk, Cote said he has no qualms about rolling up his sleeves and assisting with emergencies or incidents when they arise, including something as simple as directing traffic.
“I keep a radar gun in my truck even now,” he said. “There are certain parts I just can’t turn off just because I have achieved a new rank. I am a firm believer in that nobody is ever above doing a job.”
His father, Maurice, was a longtime firefighter with the Houlton Fire Department, but law enforcement was something Cote always wanted to do, from the time he was in high school.
“I knew early on, this is what I wanted to do,” he said. “You get to see a lot of triumph and a lot of tragedy in this job. You see people at their best and their worst.”
