BREAKING NEWS: SWH police chief proposes full-time coverage for Tremont, adding 2 officers
SOUTHWEST HARBOR, Feb. 13, 2024 - Will Lucy - the Town of Tremont - pull the football back again on Charlie Brown?
For the umpteenth time over two decades, the police chief here is responding yet again to a request to provide law enforcement services for its neighbor to the South which has been at the mercy of the Hancock Sheriff’s Office which cannot meet its contractural obligation of 45 hours of patrol a week.
Tonight at the select board meeting, Police Chief John Hall will discuss his plan to integrate Tremont into his department at the hefty price tag of $402,327 a year. You may read his memo starting at Page 30 of the posted agenda. The meeting starts at 6 on Zoom.
Tremont’s current budget with the Sheriff’s Office is $177,840 even though the county rarely can provide more than 30 patrol hours a week, Town Manager Jesse Dunbar has said.
“The Town of Tremont has asked me to provide them with a proposal to provide Law Enforcement services to them,” Hall wrote in a memo to his select board.
“While this idea has been around for many years and several proposals have been made, none were approved. When I met with the Tremont Town Manager, I explained that I would present a proposal for 24/7, 365 days coverage and that it would include hiring 2 officers and purchasing 1 cruiser - that the cost would be broken down into percentages as a way of making it easier to understand and explain. This would also ensure that the Town of Southwest Harbor was not ‘footing the bill.’
“In a perfect world this would have been an easy task, advertise for new officers, purchase, and outfit a new cruiser and be ready to go. This, however, is no longer the case and hiring qualified candidates is a Nationwide issue that is crippling many departments. Supply lines for cruisers and equipment are severely affected and, in some cases, we wait a year or more for the vehicle and equipment.”
It took almost two years for SWH to staff its force of six at full complement.
“Facing reality head-on requires looking at different approaches, and figuring out how we can provide adequate coverage for both towns with the resources that we currently have. So, the question is, can we provide the same coverage to Tremont as we currently provide to Southwest Harbor? The answer is yes, we can.
“Our department is fully funded, our officers are fully outfitted, and Tremont is next door.
“Simply put, we are expanding our patrol area to cover their town and complaints. This added area and increased calls for service is a simple increase that does not need to be complicated or overthought. Tremont pays for those expendable items used in patrolling their town. Time, fuel, wear and tear on the vehicles and a portion of the contract bound equipment used in providing those services.
“This would amount to about $402,000.
“I looked at all the past proposals and some were more complicated in the percentage breakdown or too simplified by not covering enough. My intension here is to provide a workable, easily managed proposal that is not swamped by a line-by-line breakdown, it allows for easy accounting, it provides the option for quarterly review by each town and is easily understood.
“Finally, with this proposal we can open the door to other options for shared services, joint projects, or any number of other ideas. I would also propose that if the proposal is accepted by the towns that a review committee be established to provide guidance and input from the citizens.
In October 2019, at a special town meeting in Tremont, its citizens voted overwhelmingly to stay with the sheriff’s services instead of partnering with Southwest Harbor, from which it had sought a proposal.
The proposal then was to replace the Sheriff’s coverage with similar service by SWH. In the three-year proposal from Southwest Harbor, 30 hours of police coverage per week would cost $143,000 per year, according to a report in the Islander.
Four years later, On Dec. 4, 2023, select board member McKenzie Jewett said she continued to hear complaints and suggested the board explore alternatives again.
Tremont also sought help from Bar Harbor and Mount Desert, which share a police force.
TRIBUTE: Anne Foster Benson
1934 - 2024
SOUTHWEST HARBOR - Anne F. Benson, 89, died February 7, 2024, at her home in Southwest Harbor. She was born September 11, 1934, in Northeast Harbor, the daughter of John L. and Elizabeth (Ivney) Foster.
She graduated from Mt. Desert High School in Northeast Harbor in 1952. Anne worked as a secretary for Jerome Knowles Appraisal Service and as secretary to the Principal of Mt. Desert Island High School.
Anne married David Benson in 1954 and helped manage several business enterprises including a laundry, restaurant, motel, and shopping center. She was a member of the Kebo Valley Golf Club for many years during which she achieved numerous honors as one of the top women golfers of the club. Anne was proud of her family and took great pride in all their many activities.
She is survived by two sons: William Benson and partner Betsy Hanscom and Thomas Benson and wife Robin; brother Robert Foster and wife E. Pat; three grandchildren Alicia Gordius and husband Jason, Derek Benson and wife Kareema, and Holly Bailey and husband KJ; two great grandchildren Rory Gordius and Brock Bailey. She was predeceased by her husband of 67 years David and sister, Patricia Adams.
Private services will be held at a later date.
Those who desire may make contributions in Anne’s memory to the Southwest Harbor Ambulance Service, P.O. Box 437, Southwest Harbor, 04679.
Condolences may by expressed at www.jordanfernald.com