Taken from an article in the Portsmouth Herald.

Criminal justice runs in the family

KITTERY, Maine — Law enforcement is a family tradition for Kittery’s newest police officer.

Patrolman Benjamin Cyr is the son of longtime Newmarket, N.H., Police Chief Kevin Cyr, and said he really never thought about any other profession besides being a cop.

“I grew up around law enforcement. I love it. As far back as I can remember, it’s the only thing I ever wanted to do,” said Cyr, 22.

Cyr recently completed training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, and is now an officer in training for the Kittery Police Department. He graduated in May from Husson University in Bangor with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Cyr said he was in seventh grade when his father became chief in Newmarket, but he had worked for the department before that. He said growing up the son of a small-town chief was formative.

“It was a great way to meet people and get involved in the community,” he said. As he got older, he became involved in department volunteer activities such as the annual “stuff a cruiser” toy drive at Christmas.

“Seeing (officers’) interaction with the community is what spiked my interest,” he said.

He also said he was struck by the “camaraderie” among officers.

He said while he went to college in Maine, he grew up near the Seacoast and wanted to return to this area to work.

“I heard Kittery was a great department, a great group of guys,” he said. “And Kittery has got a small-town feel to it, which I like. I’m looking forward to starting my career here.”