Police Chief Michael Sauschuck has served the City of Portland since 1997, when he began his law enforcement career as a patrol officer. Chief Sauschuck was appointed Chief of Police in January 2012. He leads a team of highly-trained, professional men and women committed to the department's core values of leadership, integrity and service.

After graduating from high school, Sauschuck joined the U.S. Marines where he was sent to Camp Pendleton, San Mateo, California. During his five-year tenure, he served as Corporal, then Sergeant with the Marine Security Guards in San Salvador, El Salvador and Moscow, Russia. After four years as a reserve police officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department, Sauschuck joined the Portland Police Department, where he worked in a variety of specialties, including eh crisis intervention team, special reaction team and as a field training officer. He was also a special agent and supervisor assigned to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, investigating and suppressing illegal narcotic activity in Cumberland County.

In March 2011, Lieutenant Sauschuck was selected as the department's Assistant Chief, where he served as Chief James Craig's second in command and directly oversaw criminal investigations, uniformed operations and emergency communications. Upon Chief Craig's departure in August 2011, Sauschuck led the Police Department as Acting Police Chief, overseeing a department of more than two hundred employees and an annual budget of $13.4 million. He was selected as the department's permanent Chief in January of 2012.

In addition to his public service in municipal government in Portland, Mike serves on several boards including the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, Milestone Board, United Way of Greater Portland Community-Wide Goal Setting Committee, Maine Opiate Collaborative, Greater Portland Addiction Collaborative, Portland Mayor’s Substance Use Disorder Committee and is an active supporter of Maine Behavioral Healthcare’s Trauma Intervention Program.

Over the past decade, Sauschuck has received a number of awards for his commitment to the department, including the "Sergeant Michael J. Wallace Award," the "Enrique Camarena Memorial Award" from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the "Heroes With a Heart Award."

Chief Sauschuck was born in Port Jervis, New York, but moved to Madrid, Maine in the third grade and has been in Maine ever since. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Criminology from the University of Maine in 1998 and is a graduate of the FBI's 251st National Academy for Law Enforcement Leaders class. He is married to Portland Police Detective Mary Sauschuck.

We have asked the Chief to provide his perspective of the recent demonstration in Portland and similar demonstrations in other cities that have included negative views of police officers, and violence against police officers. In addition, we have asked for his suggestions of how our community can ensure that additional demonstrations are managed in a peaceful and civil manner. Other topics may include the challenge of opioid trafficking and how policing has changed since he joined the force.