CAMDEN, Maine — Robert’s Rules of Order seemed inadequate to the task of containing passions at Tuesday night’s Select Board meeting as townspeople and board members argued openly over the issue of the Camden Police Department’s future.
The tension came even as town leaders agreed to maintain the status quo of keeping the local police department and hiring a police chief, rather than contract policing services through the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in the coming year. However, Select Board Chair Susan Dorr also said it was unrealistic and foolish to say the town would never reconsider options for regionalizing the police force in the future.
“There are real savings to other models we were discussing, but it appears to be in the best interest of the community to slow this down,” Dorr said.
The most heated exchange came as business owner Stuart Smith came to the podium and described the effort of business and community members to gather signatures for a petition to put protecting the Police Department on the ballot in June.
“I don’t understand how we can pick on one division of the whole budget,” Smith said. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, Alison.”
“That’s not what’s going on, Stuart,” Vice Chair Alison McKellar responded. “I’m taking a deep breath because there are so many police officers that have left. The system is not working.”
“That’s not a reason to get rid of the Police Department.” Smith said.
“I do not want to get rid of the Police Department,” she said. “I needed the Police Department so many times. … I have cried on the shoulder of Camden police officers, some of whom are now at the county.”
Board member Christopher Rheault broke into the back and forth. “We’re letting everyone speak, but the goal of this is to have a civil conversation,” he said. “Let’s try and keep it polite. We’re a small town; mostly we like each other.”
“She did what you want,” McKellar said to Smith, referring to Town Manager Audra Caler and her recommendation this week to maintain the status quo through at least fiscal year 2027. “We are listening, and you are succeeding.”
Smith argued the townspeople want leadership to stop researching whether it needs a Police Department.
Controversy has erupted in town since the Select Board voted 3-2 in February to contract the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to provide administrative services until the end of June, rather than naming an interim police chief from the existing town department. Longtime Police Chief Randy Gagne announced in January his retirement to take a patrol job with Rockland. The county services were offered at the cost of $1.
One of the budget options Caler had brought forward was to look at the possibility of contracting with the sheriff’s office to provide the town with six dedicated deputies to maintain the present level of services while saving money on the administration side and aligning town use with the fact that Camden is already contributing a large portion of the county budget.
In addition, it was announced at the Select Board meeting that the Tuesday public meeting that had been planned concerning these issues had been canceled. The budget committee is expected to discuss the police department budget 6 p.m. Thursday via Zoom (see the town of Camden web calendar at camdenmaine.gov).
Several members of the public got up to speak in favor of maintaining a town-run police department.
Caler said she had initially brought forward options for the budget, but given the feedback, it seems like a lot for people to take in while working to get this year’s town budget passed. Caler also argued she has been told time and again there is a need to keep the budget as low as possible to save taxpayers money. She said she felt it was her job to look at options, including regionalization.
McKellar said the Camden Police Department has lost officers to the county and other towns. She argued some officers may be looking for opportunities to rise through the ranks in the larger county department.
Board member Chris Nolan argued that it is demoralizing to say to the incoming police chief, “We don’t know if this position will be here next year because we might eliminate it.” He said that narrows who will want to take on the chief job.
Knox County Commissioner and former Select Board member Marc Ratner spoke at the meeting, noting that he was wearing two hats, one representing the county and one as a Camden resident. He said the Knox County Sheriff’s Office did not volunteer to take over the town’s policing. It was asked to supply the duties of a chief, he said, and they had to check with attorneys to see if they could because it was never done before.
He said part of what drove the change was that former Gagne left so quickly.
As a Camden resident, he said the Police Department does a great job. He praised it for its work at special town events including Halloween and Christmas by the Sea. “Local is better,” he said.
He also said that if the sheriff’s office did contract with the town, it could put “Camden” on the police cruisers along with “Knox County” and it could enforce local town ordinances as well as state laws.
Those opposed to regionalizing expressed numerous concerns, including questions of whether this would affect insurance rates and response times. They also raised questions about maintaining local control. Some residents expressed the comfort provided by having officers they know show up when they call.
Rheault said not everyone in town is opposed to looking at the options, though he said some may be less vocal about it. There are residents who are concerned about the rising taxes and costs who are interested in other plans, he noted.
Discussions have been going on in the area for years about the possibility of a more regional approach to delivering some public services. Caler said at the meeting that in terms of EMS, she feels a regional system would be better.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.
