A discussion of whether the town of Wiscasset should rely on the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Dept. or its own police department for law enforcement services caused a clash of sentiment at the Tuesday selectmen’s meeting.
The subject surfaced when Wiscasset’s acting chief Lt. John Allen sought board approval to advertise for a fulltime replacement for Officer Willy Simmons, whose resignation is effective Jan. 1 and Selectman Pam Dunning questioned the wisdom of hiring someone if the town decides to go with Lincoln County Sheriff’s Dept. protection.
Dunning said Sheriff Todd Brackett was scheduled to make a presentation next week about the type of protective services his department could provide for the community and the cost involved.
Allen expressed anger at not being invited to attend the session so that he could prepare his own figures and argument for keeping the police department.
“I was never notified about this, and I feel it is unfair,” he said. “I found out on my own. That’s not very professional.”
Currently the department has only three fulltime officers including Allen and would be down one if the town does not hire a replacement.
Allen argued the town fully supported the department with a large vote approving the budget in this June. “You have an obligation to do what the townspeople voted,” he said.
Dunning agreed Allen should have been contacted about the future agenda time, however, Dunning said the town has not been given an option. While serving on the budget committee before her election to the board, Dunning said people spoke to her about whether the Sheriff’s Dept. could adequately serve the town at a reduced cost.
“I was on the budget committee all four years, and people have asked what the cost for security would be if we go with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Dept.,” she said.
Budget committee member Ed Polewarczyk argued against any change and considers the response to incidents a lot quicker with the local department. “I don’t think the county can make the same kind of commitment at the local police.”
Ambulance service member John Blagdon also spoke in favor of keeping the police department and against going with the Sheriff’s Dept. “Going on a call, it’s nice to know an officer will be there. It would be a very poor and ill-fated venture we’d be going on. Let’s keep the services we have intact.”
Selectman Bill Curtis advised the board to be prepared with a list of questions and expectations for the Sheriff when he appears before the board.
Former selectman Bill Barnes advocated a future ballot question giving people a choice of keeping the police department or enlisting the Sheriff’s Dept. to fulfill its law enforcement needs.
After some debate, Selectmen Chairman Bob Blagden said the discussion about the pros and cons should not concern the question of hiring a replacement for Officer Simmons. Any candidate could be advised about the possibility in the future of the town deciding on the Sheriff’s Dept. as an alternative, and besides, the process of any change to go before voters could take a year or more, members said.
The board okayed the advertising for a replacement and approved Allen’s appointment of Dep. Henry Grenier of the Sheriff’s Dept. as a reserve officer.
Next week the recent issue of alleged police department time card changes in connection with compensatory time due personnel will be discussed in executive session with Atty. Peter Lowe of Brunswick, whom the town has hired to investigate the questions.
Town Manager Arthur Faucher advised the board it could rearrange a time for the Sheriff to appear before the board to allow more time for a workshop on stimulus fund grants for three purposes in town that have deadlines for application soon.
