AUGUSTA – Concerns have circulated regarding changes in the coverage that Maine State Police troopers provide in rural Maine. A letter, written by Major Bill Ross and Major Brian Scott, details the services provided by the State Police and the changes that are underway.
The proposed changes involve reducing, but not eliminating, state police patrol shifts in Penobscot County.
In reference to this change, the letter reads, “At the end of the day when the public calls for help they don’t care what uniform you are wearing or what agency you are working for. They want a professional, efficient level of service which we feel this proposed agreement enables us to provide.”
Franklin County is covered by Troop C, based out of Skowhegan. With regards to Franklin County, the letter states, “Franklin County has a Memorandum of Understanding between the Maine State Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office will handle all the calls for service and will refer calls to the State Police when they are unable to respond. All serious personal injury and fatal motor vehicle crashes will be the responsibility of the State Police as the primary investigative agency. The State Police will continue to conduct traffic enforcement in the county.”
This arrangement is not, based on the information from the State Police, one of the areas of change.
Patrol operations, including the three Major Crimes Units, are one division of the State Police. The other is specialized services, which includes the following units and teams: Maine Information and Analysis Center (MIAC); Training Unit; State Police Crime Lab; Computer Crimes Unit; Traffic Safety Unit; State Police Tactical Team; Crisis Negotiation Team; Underwater Recovery Team; Bomb and Explosives Unit; Canine (K9) Unit; Crowd Management Team. These services are provided as necessary to patrol operations within the State Police and to all law enforcement agencies within the state.
Of the 21 municipalities that make up Franklin County, five have their own municipal law enforcement agency: Carrabassett Valley, Farmington, Jay, Rangeley, and Wilton. The remaining municipalities and unorganized territories fall under the jurisdiction of the sheriff’s office. In addition, the sheriff’s office assists the municipal agencies with needs such as K-9 units or additional manpower.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office consists of two divisions: Patrol and Criminal Investigative Division. In addition, the Franklin County Detention Center is overseen by Sheriff Scott Nichols, and is a full-service detention center. The Patrol division at the sheriff’s office patrols the county, responds to crimes and emergencies, and provides services including building checks, K-9 teams, the elder check program, and the rural school outreach, which provides law enforcement visits in local schools without school resource officers. The Criminal Investigative Division consists of detectives who investigate a variety of crimes within the county and can assist patrol deputies if necessary.
Especially in the northern, more rural part of the county, it is not uncommon for U.S. Border Patrol agents, Maine Forest Rangers, and Maine Game Wardens to work with deputies and local agencies to respond to emergencies. In Franklin County, the U.S. Border Patrol is based out of Rangeley and agents patrol parts of the county due to the proximity to the U.S./Canada border and the Coburn Gore point of entry. Rangers and wardens are assigned to patrol districts and may be the nearest law enforcement officer to a scene. In addition, the Warden Service is responsible for missing and lost persons across the state, so backwoods rescues for lost or injured hikers are typically organized by the wardens and supported by local first responder agencies.
