SKOWHEGAN — The last thing Michael Pike did as a patrol deputy last week with the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office was to investigate a domestic violence case.
The investigation led to the arrest of a man for domestic violence assault.
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Pike now will follow up on the case — monitor the victim, the alleged perpetrator and their children — as the domestic violence investigator for the Somerset County district attorney’s office.
He started his new job Monday, taking over for James Ross, who is now chief deputy under Sheriff Dale Lancaster.
Lancaster’s predecessor, Barry DeLong, was among the first state police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office as a child abuse investigator before he was elected sheriff in 1994.
The investigator’s office now is a function of county government.
Pike, 42, of Madison, said domestic violence has been the focus of his law enforcement work since 2008, when he was a case specialist working with the Skowhegan office of probation and parole.
In the recent case Pike recalled, the woman and her husband are in their 50s, Pike said. Domestic violence has been a constant part of their marriage of 20 years.
The woman finally had enough and called police.
“It’s a serious problem. It’s probably the most serious criminal justice problem that we have here in the state of Maine,” Pike said. “The dynamics of domestic violence (are) something that we, as a society, all have to face and be concerned about it.”
Pike, who also is the school resource officer for the Carrabec and the Bingham school districts, said in the old days domestic disputes were considered a private matter between husband and wife. Arrests were rare and the violent offenders — 80 percent of them men — were seldom charged.
In recent years, public awareness of domestic violence issues has increased, as has training for police officers, public policy changes and an accompanying increase in activism by groups and agencies that address domestic violence, he said.
“Police officers now, as they go through the criminal justice academy, are trained in the field of domestic violence,” he said. “The law enforcement community and the state of Maine have been very progressive in addressing the concerns of domestic violence, and we’ve been ahead of the curve in a lot of ways. All the departments in the area have a mandatory arrest policy in a domestic violence situation.”
An added deterrent to domestic violence is a change in federal law, under which a domestic violence offender loses his privilege to possess or own a firearm, meaning the treasured right to hunt in Maine is taken away even though the crime of domestic violence assault is a misdemeanor, not a felony.
Pike said domestic violence reports are on the increase, but he said it isn’t clear if there are more crimes committed today than there were in past years or more victims reporting the crimes to police.
“The numbers would seem to indicate that it is increasing,” he said. “But maybe it’s because we as a society are doing a better job at reporting it. Maybe victims feel more comfortable bringing it forward now than they did 20 years ago.”
The majority of cases of domestic violence involve the use of alcohol by one or both of the participants, Pike said, but it is not solely the root cause of the violence, because the aggressor still makes the choice to lash out at a partner.
Pike said he likes the challenge of working with and helping the victims of domestic violence, but also likes the challenge of working with offenders, trying to change their way of thinking.
“It becomes less about their level of power and control, and they become more focused on their partner and her role in the relationship and being more aware of her feelings, of her needs,” he said
Pike was chosen for the job from a field of other candidates, District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said.
His nomination was approved by Somerset County commissioners in January. Maloney said she received unsolicited letters of recommendation from both law enforcement and the Family Violence Project in support of Pike.
“Mike Pike’s application went above and beyond all the others — it was truly outstanding,” Maloney said. “Mike is a rare individual who is able to relate to victims, enabling them to feel comfortable, while at the same time taking a strong law enforcement stance.”
In addition to Pike’s 18 years in law enforcement, he is one of the founding members of the Somerset County Domestic Violence Task Force and a volunteer at all domestic violence awareness community events, Maloney said.
“I could not be more pleased than to welcome him to the District Attorney’s Office, and the people of Somerset County will be the beneficiaries,” she said.
Sheriff Lancaster agreed.
“Mike’s ability to communicate effectively, and his background, knowledge revolving around domestic violence issues makes him the perfect selection,” Lancaster said.
Pike, whose father Dennis Pike retired as Franklin County sheriff in 2012, grew up in Farmington and majored in English at the University of Maine at Farmington. He began his law enforcement career as a patrol officer in Livermore Falls and Jay before spending eight years as a probation officer. He had been a deputy with the sheriff’s department for three years, a position he will continue to hold.
Pike said domestic violence happens at all levels of society — it’s not just poor people or poorly educated people.
The husband in Pike’s recent case has a good job, drives a nice vehicle and lives with his wife and two children in a nice house, he said.
“She’s very frightened, very concerned about her safety, her children’s safety,” Pike said of the recent case. “I applaud her courage for finally holding him accountable. I’ll monitor his bail conditions, make sure he’s in compliance.
“I’ll follow up with the victim, make sure she’s doing okay — make sure she feels safe. I’ll also work closely with the Family Violence Project. They have a couple of advocates here in town. They work with victims of domestic violence, safety planning, emotional support for victims.”
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter: @Doug_Harlow
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