Lincoln Ryder has worked in Maine law enforcement since 1993, beginning his career as a Reserve Police Officer with the South Portland and Scarborough Police Departments while in college at the University of Southern Maine. In 1994, Lincoln was hired by the Waterville Police Department and served as a Patrol Officer until 1997 when he was hired by the Wells Police Department. Lincoln served with Wells PD until 2005, holding the ranks of Patrol Officer, Corporal, then Sergeant.
In 2005, Lincoln returned to the Waterville Police Department as a Patrol Officer, and has subsequently been promoted to the positions of Detective (2009 to 2012) and Sergeant (2012 to present) holding assignments to the Waterville Communication Center, Patrol Division, and his current position as the Detective Sergeant supervising the Detective Division. Additionally, while serving as a Detective, Lincoln was assigned to the Waterville PD Drug Unit and also served with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency as a Resident Special Agent from 2010 to 2012. Lincoln’s current responsibilities include management of the seven member Detective Division, which includes a two-member Drug Unit, three Detectives who work a general caseload, a School Resource Officer covering five schools (K-12), and an officer who is assigned full-time as a Special Agent with Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. Lincoln also manages the Evidence / Property Room and the related functions.
In addition to teaching for Dirigo Safety, LLC, Lincoln has worked as a Master Instructor for PepperBall since 2003. He conducts Instructor and Armorer training for law enforcement and correctional agencies in the use of non-lethal weapon systems. Lincoln is a graduate of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s 77th Municipal / County Basic Police School (1995) and also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology (2001) and a Master of Public Policy and Management (2015) from the University of Southern Maine.