A few months ago, Trooper Lucas Hare stopped a car on Route 26 in New Gloucester, just like the many made every day on Maine’s roads and highways.

After noticing something in the car, Hare conducted a search and uncovered a significant amount of drugs.

But he didn’t stop there. After piecing a few more facts together, Hare obtained a search warrant for a residence in the Bethel area that yielded more drugs. Evidence from that scene led police to a third house, and yet more illegal activity.

“It turned into quite a significant case out of a routine traffic stop,” said Lt. Walter Grzyb, Hare’s commanding officer at the Gray barracks.

It is that kind of dogged police work that earned Hare, 31, the 2007 Trooper of the Year award. The Raymond man, who joined the state police in 2003 after four years with the South Portland Police Department, was honored last week at a ceremony in Augusta.

“It is an honor,” Hare said before deflecting the praise. “It’s one of those things that represents a lot of teamwork.”

Hare is always willing take an extra step, to push an investigation to its limit, Grzyb said. Just as with the traffic stop in New Gloucester, Hare looks into every corner when investigating his cases, he said.

“It would be very easy to say, ‘Good enough,'” Grzyb said. “He doesn’t do that.

“He is the one at the end of the day to do the little things that make the difference between solving the case and getting the evidence.”

It’s all part of the job, said Hare. “It’s training and experience and wanting to look into things a little deeper,” he added.

Hare adds to his duties as a member of the Maine State Police tactical team. The tactical team works to resolve critical incidents, which include barricaded subjects, wanted felons, high-risk K-9 tracking, hostage situations and high-risk warrant services. Over the past few years, the team has responded to approximately 50 calls for service per year.

At the awards ceremony, Hare was one of 22 troopers to receive a commendation for bravery stemming from a standoff with a gunman in Auburn last year.

In March 2007, a man killed his mother at their home and then held police at bay for 17 hours before being shot and killed by police. It was the longest standoff in the tactical team’s 30-year history.

“It is a tremendous commitment above and beyond what a normal trooper has in their bag of responsibility,” Grzyb said of membership to the tactical team.

The variety of his duties, from traffic enforcement to criminal investigation to the tactical team, keep Hare sharp.

“It’s a good challenge,” Hare said. “It’s something different every day.”

Maine State Trooper Lucas Hare of Raymond was named Trooper of the Year at a ceremony last week in Augusta.