HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton police union declared on Tuesday its unanimous loss of confidence in municipal officials in the aftermath of the town manager’s recent arrest.
Town Manager Cameron Clark was arrested and jailed Sept. 25 on charges of Class B felony victim tampering and Class D domestic violence assault. He has remained at the helm of this rural community of 6,000 despite escalating public outrage.
In a letter addressed to the Town Council, obtained by the Bangor Daily News on Tuesday, the bargaining unit said, “The women and men of the Houlton Patrolman and Dispatcher’s Bargaining Unit remain dedicated to the peace, service and safety of the Town of Houlton and its citizens,” and that they cannot condone recent council decisions regarding Clark.
“We are shocked at the town council’s response to the town manager’s arrest,” the bargaining unit said. “We believe it is our duty to the people of Houlton to express that we cannot endorse or condone the Council’s response to this very serious matter.”
The letter to the council was delivered to the town office on Tuesday via email, according to Town Clerk Khylee Wampler, who said that she forwarded it to the council, although they may not have read it yet.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Council Chairperson Jane Torres said she had not yet seen the letter.
The police union’s no-confidence vote is yet another example of escalating public fallout in the wake of Clark’s arrest. Last Friday two town councilors resigned, citing moral and ethical concerns, and on Monday a group of eight residents started a process that would allow voters to oust elected officials from office.
Councilors have maintained that Clark is innocent until proven guilty and that his criminal charges have no bearing on his ability to do his job, a stance that has outraged residents.
Last Thursday they confirmed their position in a special council meeting with Clark and the town attorney.
The patrolmen and dispatchers said as law enforcement professionals, they know more than most how the legal process works. But they also understand that common practice would be to place the town manager on administrative leave while his case works through the legal system, according to the letter.
“We believe the Council’s duty to the people of Houlton requires them to ensure that the Town’s business is being overseen in a transparent and integrous manner,” they said, pointing to their own code of conduct that demands they meet the “highest standards of integrity, trust and morality.”
According to the letter, any patrolman or dispatcher not meeting those standards in their professional or personal life or those who broke the law would be placed on administrative leave.
“We believe that the same standard applies to town officials,” the bargaining unit said.
Clark’s conditions of release mandate daily Department of Corrections supervision, an overnight curfew starting at 9 p.m. and that he inform law enforcement that he is under corrections supervision if stopped for any reason. Yet Clark still supervises the town police chief and the department.
“It is our hope that the Town Council will take more appropriate measures regarding the town manager as an investigation into the alleged behavior plays out,” they said.
