TREMONT, Maine — On Mount Desert Island, the town of Tremont has approved a substantial change to its policing strategy. On Tuesday, residents voted 102-19 in favor of enlisting the law enforcement services of the nearby Southwest Harbor Police Department.
This vote will end the current arrangement between the town and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, in which deputies cover the area for 45 hours each week, plus 24/7 emergency response.
Tremont Town Manager Jesse Dunbar said the office often only bills between 20-30 hours a week due to staffing issues, and that deputies are not seen in town often. But Dunbar says even the full 45 hours it isn’t enough to deal with what he sees as a rise in drug-related crime.
"There’s obviously more complex law enforcement issues that the 45-hours just doesn’t really cover," Dunbar said Wednesday.
While switching to aid from Southwest Harbor may offer more service, it's also more expensive. The contract with the department will cost the town $336,393 annually, far above the $201,000 yearly contract with the sheriff’s office.
But to Dunbar and others in town, the benefit of increased officer presence is worth the price.
"It's nice to know that there’s a quick response," Dunbar said.
"It’s a small-town department and it has that small-town feel," longtime Tremont resident Ben Harper added.
Though the new deal means an increased coverage area for the five officers in Southwest Harbor, Southwest Harbor Police Chief John Hall said it will help streamline their work by allowing the department to investigate crimes involving both Tremont and Southwest Harbor residents independent of other agencies.
"A lot of the times, the people we’re dealing with, sometimes they live here … sometimes they live there, and [when the contract takes effect] we don’t have to split an investigation in half," Hall said.
With the Southwest Harbor Police Department covering Tremont, all four towns on Mount Desert Island will be served by municipal police forces.
Dunbar said the arrangement between the Southwest Harbor Police Department and Tremont will begin July 1.