Camden Police Department may face ‘fundamental’ changes in wake of chief’s departure

Camden leaders are considering major changes to the town’s police force following the retirement of longtime Chief Randy Gagne, raising concerns among officers and citizens about the future of the department — and whether it will even still exist.

The town has scheduled a public meeting on the police department budget at 6 p.m. March 10 at the Camden Opera House, which will be streamed live on the Camden YouTube channel.

“The town is using this moment, with an interim leadership agreement in place with Knox County, to assess several fundamental approaches — from maintaining the current structure to adjustments in administration, expanded regional partnerships, or hybrid service models,” said Camden Communication and Outreach Coordinator Holly Anderson. “Looking at options is simply part of responsible planning, especially following the police chief’s retirement. No single model has been selected or prioritized, and any future direction will involve community discussion before decisions are made.”

Camden police officers say they have been left largely in the dark about the decision-making, but told they have no guarantee of job security. They argue the town needs a dedicated local force to provide the level of services that a unique place like Camden requires.

Gagne served simultaneously as Camden and Rockport’s police chief before announcing his retirement in January. While Rockport appointed one of its own officers as interim chief, a split Camden Select Board voted to name the Knox County Sheriff Patrick Polky as the force’s interim leader, pending the decision on a longer-term plan.

Town leaders say they are at the beginning of a process and will be studying it for months with no set timeline or outcome. “Any long-term decision would be made by the Select Board in public, following the analysis and community input,” Anderson said. “This is not just a Camden-specific question but part of a broader discussion facing many Maine communities about the future role of counties and whether residents value local control above all else or see benefits in regional collaboration.”

Some officers and citizens are concerned the town will push to close the department and fold its duties into the Sheriff’s Office, as many smaller midcoast towns do to save money.

But the Camden officers’ union, the Camden Police Benevolent Association, argues that would be the wrong approach for a larger town like Camden.

“We don’t know the town’s intent here, but we feel that if the town is intending to abolish the Camden PD and contract out its police services with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department, as is done in some towns, that it would lead to a less safe environment for the citizens,” the union said in an email response to questions from the Midcoast Villager. “We think it is important to appreciate that Camden is not simply a small rural Maine town. Camden has its own identity and its own way of doing things. Its citizens are used to a certain level of service.”

The union added that they hold no ill will against Knox County Sheriff Patrick Polky and his office, who was contacted by Camden officials about the interim role: “It was the town’s decision to appoint him interim chief.”

The union also recently created a Facebook page to inform citizens about the work of the department, seemingly to build support for its existence.

Camden Police handled over 7,100 calls for service last year alone. The department also provides coverage for numerous events throughout the year when all officers are required to attend including the Memorial Day parade, Christmas by the Sea Parade, Toboggan National weekend, Halloween, and The Camden Conference.

“The only time that the town had reached out to the department was three weeks after Chief Gagne announced his retirement. It was then that we had a department meeting with the Town Manager,” a Camden police officer told the Villager, requesting anonymity to speak candidly on the sensitive issue. “A new officer asked the manager if she could guarantee us employment. The manager replied that she could not guarantee anything.”

The office said Town Manager Audra Caler added there is no desire to reduce the level of staffing in the town, though she did not specify details about the police force.

The police were told all options are on the table.

“The Town Manager told us that there was no succession planning, and she has to make this up as they go along,” the officer said. “We are all unsure what has to be made up as we have only lost our chief due to his retirement. This happens at departments all the time. Until such time as a new full-time chief is appointed the Camden Police Department will run as it always has.”

The uncertainty is placing stress on local officers.

“I am concerned that if officers are worried about their futures they will look for jobs elsewhere. This is not good for CPD because it is very hard to find qualified officers in this job market to replace anyone who leaves,” the Camden officer added.

The Sheriff’s Office could presumably take on some Camden officers as deputies serving Knox County if the departments were merged, but Camden police say they prefer to serve the town of Camden, which is what they signed on to do.

Select Board member Chris Nolan said he sees a pattern in Camden where something starts out as temporary and becomes permanent, citing paid parking and the bridge near the public landing as examples. He expressed support for the police department, arguing that keeping it local helps maintain local control. He also cited the need for more information. What would changing the police department in this way do to insurance rates for citizens, for example?

He also expressed concern about the level of service. He noted that local Camden officers do health checks, calling some people who have health issues or are elderly every day to see how they are doing. This may not be expected of a larger countywide organization.

Nolan also questioned how the Sheriff’s Office is doing in terms of administration, noting recent budget issues where Knox County needed an emergency law passed to get its budget approved.

“I’m not a fan of giving control over to an organization that doesn’t have a lot of organization,” he said.

But Anderson, the town spokesperson, assured that the public will have a chance to weigh in and that no decisions are imminent.

“The most important thing for the public to understand is that the town is starting a conversation, not announcing a conclusion,” Anderson said.

“We know response times, community relationships, and local knowledge matter deeply to residents, and those factors will be central to any evaluation,” Anderson said. “Community feedback will play a key role in shaping what residents want to see from policing here. The interim agreement does not involve a reduction in law enforcement services.”

This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.