Meeting May 20, the Damariscotta Board of Selectmen authorized the town’s police department to open a satellite police station in the Elm Street Plaza for the summer months.
The station will occupy a space once used as a barbershop. Town Manager Greg Zinser said Robert Clifford, the center’s owner, donated the space.
Under the deal, the town won’t pay rent until Labor Day.
Despite obvious reluctance from the board of selectmen, the board voted to occupy the space in an attempt to improve the police presence downtown.
Police chief Steve Drake said he had tried to assign the officers to walk around downtown, but it just didn’t work out.
“They were always ordered out on a run so they had to jump in their cars and go out,” Drake said. “Then they had to make a report. It was just not a good use of police manpower.”
Damariscotta has a chief, four police officers and a dozen reserve officers that are scheduled as needed.
“If I had a substation, I could mandate them to be there for several hours a shift,” Drake said. “They would still have to cover calls, but they would be based down there. They will be able to talk to businessmen, stop in a store, and talk to others. It opens up a great deal of possibilities.
“It is good for my officers to deal with good people, other than talking to people who are not so good, the ones they arrest. It helps them from getting jaded.”
“We are asking you to have a presence downtown. We want you go to go out on the street,” said Selectman Vicki Pinkham.
Drake said the new police substation will have a table and a chair. Officers would be able to make calls on their cell phones and do some reports on one of their computers.
“You will need a good sign to let folks know when you are there and not there so they will know to call 911 if they need a policeman,” said Selectman Dick McLean.
The board agreed to try the substation for the summer and evaluate it in the fall.
“We want to make them visible,” said Selectman Josh Pinkham.
