Damariscotta officials expect Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Brackett to submit a proposal for his office to provide police services in Damariscotta before Fri., Aug. 24.
The Damariscotta Board of Selectmen and Town Manager Matt Lutkus attended the Aug. 21 meeting of the Lincoln County Commissioners to discuss the matter. Brackett was also present.
Lutkus asked Brackett June 11 to submit a proposal for his office to provide 24/7 police services in Damariscotta in place of a municipal department. Lutkus and the selectmen have described the action as a potential avenue to save the town money.
The Damariscotta Board of Selectmen would have to approve the proposal and Damariscotta voters would have to approve an amendment to the town charter in order to eliminate the police department.
Lutkus told the commissioners and the sheriff a vote could take place as soon as Election Day, Nov. 6.
Lutkus explained the board’s position to the commissioners, saying maintaining a full police force was not cost effective to the town.
“We could close our police facility and have a savings there,” he said, eliminating the chief’s and sergeant’s positions, patrol officers and office personnel. “There could be economics of scale by combining functions,” Lutkus said.
The department currently employs Police Chief Chad Andrews, administrative assistant Jodi Prior, and patrol officers Richard Alexander, Aaron Beck and Jason Warlick, all full-time personnel. A full-time sergeant’s position has been vacant since April 2011 and a full-time patrol officer’s position is temporarily vacant after the recent resignation of Patrol Officer Jennifer Mitkus. The department also employs seasonal parking enforcement officers and several reserve patrol officers.
Other Lincoln County towns have made similar overtures in the past, but Lutkus and Selectman Josh Pinkham stressed the selectmen are serious about a possible change.
Damariscotta is “very serious, and would like to see a solid proposal to have policing services within the town, as long as the commissioners would approve,” Lutkus said.
“We aren’t taking this lightly,” said Pinkham. “We are unified and we want to see something happen; we’re serious.”
Josh Pinkham said he has received mostly positive feedback from citizens about the possibility of the sheriff’s office providing police services in Damariscotta when he explains the service would be the same as what the police department provides.
Damariscotta Police Chief Chad Andrews, who was not present at the meeting, disputed that point in a phone interview. He said about 20 people, including citizens and business owners, have told him the elimination of the police department would amount to “a huge mistake,” while no one has told him they support the idea.
Sheriff Brackett also addressed the commissioners, talking about his accessibility and open-door policy.
“My goal is to keep that local feel the best we can and we want to succeed,” the sheriff said. “We want the folks of Damariscotta to know they are getting the services and I’ll work to make it a success.”
County Chairman William Blodgett anticipated an adjustment when dealing with complaints to be directed to the sheriff, and not to a local chief.
Lutkus said he believed “in some ways, it will be an improvement.”
He told Brackett and the commissioners that Andrews, Damariscotta’s police chief, does not work regular hours and is sometimes unavailable for 2-3 days at a time after working a night shift.
Andrews emphatically denied Lutkus’ comments. Despite his time on patrol, he said he remains available at the office Monday-Friday with rare exceptions when he remains available by phone.
“My cell phone is tied to me,” he said.
He seldom works night shifts, Andrews said. When he does, it’s in an effort to avoid overtime costs.
Damariscotta selectmen Josh Pinkham and Vicki Pinkham habitually oppose any overtime spending, despite the vacancies in the department.
Andrews also noted Lutkus and the selectmen have not permitted him to hire a sergeant, a position that would serve both as a patrol officer and supervisor, second in command to the chief.
With a sergeant to assist him, it would not be necessary for Andrews to cover overnight patrol shifts, he said. He also said that when he does work patrol shifts, it makes him more accessible to the community, not less.
Lutkus later clarified his comments in an e-mail and a phone interview. He said he had “no intent whatsoever to slight the chief or the department.”
Lutkus said he was only referring to the relative ability of the police department and the sheriff’s office to respond promptly to complaints about officers.
The sheriff and his “administrative command team” are available during business hours, Lutkus wrote.
The present necessity for Andrews to work patrol shifts means the chief is “not always available during regular business hours and it may be a while, maybe a few days, before I can get a response,” Lutkus wrote.
Lutkus acknowledged that Andrews, like himself, is available “day or night” by cell phone, but he said he wouldn’t call him at home in order to address a routine complaint.
The commissioners also addressed other matters.
Commissioner Lynn Orne discussed educating all Lincoln County communities to assure them they will retain their same sheriff’s office services, and that the change would not impact county taxes. “Damariscotta is paying their tab for this, and it is getting equivalent to what they are paying for [now],” Orne said.
Commissioner Sheridan Bond, who represents Damariscotta, said the county would not guarantee employment to the police department’s officers, who would have to “apply like everyone else.”
Lutkus had asked that Damariscotta personnel receive the right of first refusal for county jobs in Damariscotta. In a phone interview after the meeting, he said the commissioners agreed to open county positions in Damariscotta to county employees and Damariscotta personnel at the same time and before it opens the positions to the public.
Brackett said the earliest the county would take over would be Jan. 1, 2013.
“After Damariscotta has received the proposal, we’ll decide whether to move forward or not,” Brackett said.
