News
Does
Gray need additional law enforcement?
Voters to decide on Saturday
By Elizabeth Prata
Gray-The Town Council has researched the issue of
whether Gray needs additional law enforcement presence
above the current general patrols by the State Police
(SP) and Cumberland County Sheriffs (CCSO). These
patrols are paid for by state income tax and county
taxes, respectively.
What did they do?
The Law Enforcement Sub-committee was composed of
members from the Gray Public Safety Committee, the
Council, the Manager, and in the beginning, members
from Boards in New Gloucester, Pownal, and North Yarmouth.
Initially, the collaboration of four towns was to
see if grouping together would result in a more cost-effective
way to deliver the contracted policing service. The
sub-committee studied the issue for two years.
The other three towns decided during the process that
either additional law enforcement was not needed at
that time, or that they wanted to explore contracting
as an individual town.
The towns presented a survey to voters, gathered call
data from both State Police and Sheriffs, heard presentations
from law enforcement agencies, and reviewed draft
contracts.
The cost for a one-year officer to patrol Gray would
be $110,000. This will be a stand-alone article voted
upon at Stimson Hall at Town meeting on Saturday,
June 5, beginning at 10 a.m.
The Cumberland County Sheriffs have said that if individual
towns contract with another agency, they will redeploy
their resources and reduce their patrols in the contracted
town. Since County Taxes pay for these patrols, usually
zoned by four towns, their stance of redeployment
will merit further exploration.
Call data indicates that over the last three years,
there are no clear trends. In 2000, the total calls
in Gray from both SP and CCSO numbered 4,072. In 2001,
the calls numbered 4,910. In 2002, the number of calls
went down to 4,514. Crime in Maine went down overall
last year.
Total calls from 1993 to 2002, however, indicated
a 69% increase.
The Committee has said that the issue is one of response
time. Officers patrolling the outer edges of their
zone may take as long as 15 minutes to respond to
a call. Patrolling a dedicated, smaller area would
increase response to calls for service, they said.
What kinds of calls?
Call data was gathered and grouped into three different
types: Criminal, Traffic, and Other. Criminal calls
are calls for armed robbery, assault, domestic violence,
theft, sex offenses, weapons offenses, bomb threat,
harassment, and overdose.
Traffic calls include speed complaints, traffic hazard,
accident, chase, abandoned vehicle, road debris, operating
under influence.
Other calls are 911 hang-ups, alarms, animal problems,
citizen assist, court service, disturbance, escort,
loud music, property check, runaway. For all three
years studied, 2000, 2001, and 2002, the bulk of the
calls fell into the 'Other' category.
In 2001, total calls were:
Criminal: 648
Traffic: 1116
Other: 2305.
In
2002 calls were:
Criminal: 764
Traffic: 1503
Other: 2643
In
2002:
Criminal: 669
Traffic: 1377
Other: 2468
No
clear trends emerge, other than to illustrate that
the bulk of calls are not criminal or traffic oriented.
The one-year contract would be for a police officer
to patrol Gray for 40 hours per week. The 40 hours
would include court time, administrative office time,
street patrols, and occasional assists to officers
outside of Gray.
Attend Town Meeting on June 5 and make your wishes
known. Discuss, participate, and vote. All are welcome.
