By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Proposed measures to maintain a balanced 2014 budget in the Star City have included changes to employee health benefits, reduction in municipal office hours, elimination of some programs/facilities — the indoor pool, Rec Center and Forum — as well as changes in staffing for some departments. But as Councilor Craig Green stated at Monday’s regular monthly Council meeting, they are just proposals, with decisions yet to be made on many counts. One particular proposal brought up during the Nov. 18 budget workshop was a reduction in staffing during the early-morning hours at the Presque Isle Police Department.
Chris Patterson, of Mapleton, spoke during the citizens’ comments portion of Monday’s meeting, noting as a businessman, he knows how important having police available in an emergency can be.
“I’ve worked at a Caribou business that was robbed at gunpoint. The people were caught in the parking lot because we have direct dispatch. Police cars were in the yard immediately. The current town I work in doesn’t have that and calls go through dispatch in Piscataquis. A man finished a beer in the parking lot and left while the cruiser was across the street while the officer had lunch,” said Patterson.
He described another case of working in Lincoln and having to wait 35 minutes for state police to address a shoplifter.
“I’m in a business where I’m asked every year as a manager to make cuts but improve customer service. One way or another we figure it out. Sometimes you have to think outside the box,” said Patterson, noting such is the case with Island Falls. “They’re thinking of having Caribou do their ambulance paperwork.”
He questioned municipal staffing and the cost of recent pedestrian surveys.
“Do we need a study when a guy on bath salts is in our living room at midnight? Will that help? Or do we need a guy with blue lights coming?” said Patterson. “Maybe it’s politics, but I’m not happy with it. We live in a state with the highest rate of drug OD’s. I’ve had people on bath salts in my business. It’s an uncomfortable feeling. I just ask you to be open-minded.”
Patterson’s concern came about following the Nov. 18 budget workshop at which City Manager Jim Bennett and councilors discussed possible cuts to staffing at the PIPD during early-morning hours as a way to cut costs.
“Beginning in January, the Sheriff’s Department will only be working shifts 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. State police end shifts at midnight on weekdays, 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. I’m trying to look at us potentially eliminating the midnight shift (at the PIPD),” said City Manager Jim Bennett.
Bennett and the councilors discussed what this would mean to the city and its residents if no officers were on duty from about midnight to 6 a.m. He said the cost to cover on-call officers had not been determined.
Councilor Bruce Sargent asked if one officer would work, but Bennett said he would not recommend that, since having one officer on duty without backup would be a definite safety issue.
“Given everything they’re facing and unpredictability (of situations that arise), you’re almost better off having none rather than one, based on liability,” said Bennett.
“It’s an interesting proposal but I think that one stinks. We need our police at night,” said Green.
Bennett said a lot was involved in figuring out the logistics of having officers on standby, including negotiating pay, staffing levels, and more.
Councilor Dick Engels asked how many calls the PIPD responds to in the late-night hours.
Chief Matt Irwin, of the PIPD, said it was common to get three to five a night, including fights, that escalate and need more than one officer respond.
“If word gets out we’re not on after midnight” it won’t be good for the city, said Irwin.
Green said he wouldn’t waste time on this one, since “the city is growing too much as a community and police protection at night” is needed.
“The end of the day, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., is when the bars are getting out. This would endanger citizens. There are certain parts of the budget you can compromise on, but I think the citizenry are fairly forceful in taking police and fire beyond a certain level,” said Green.
Council Chair Emily Smith asked if the city didn’t have police after midnight, if “we’d be covered by state police or sheriff’s on-call people.”
Irwin said the city would have to contract for those services through the respective department.
“You’re at the point in the operating budget, because of reductions already made, there’s no ability to make adjustments without impact,” said Bennett.
“Our primary duty to the city is public safety. Other things are nice to have but as I see it, the fire department, plowing and police — I’d be against (cuts) to those three,” said Engels.
“I don’t want to jeopardize public safety, but if we can restructure and keep our level of risk at a level we can handle, we should look at it at least,” said Emily Smith. “We’ve had public listening sessions and no one showed up.”
“Attack fire and police and they’ll show up,” said Green.
“We should look at contracting and what’s available,” said Sargent.
“The first thing to look at, before staffing, is the logistics of contracting with the Sheriff’s Department, before we make a decision,” said Council Vice Chair Randy Smith.
Green said he wasn’t for reducing the overnight shift at all.
Sargent noted that Mars Hill “manages without coverage.”
Engels questioned how many bars were in Mars Hill, with Sargent replying, “none, but you can buy beer.”
At the close of Monday’s meeting, councilors returned to the topic of cuts to the police department.
Green acknowledged Patterson’s experience with crime, noting “I’ve never had that experience and it would be horrific. I agree. This is not any kind of a done deal but one of a myriad of options. No one’s said ‘great idea, let’s do that,’ but unless we look at all options available to us, we’d be remiss.”
“Because we bring up unpopular ideas, it’s not necessarily the preferred option. We appreciate public input,” said Green. “Thank you for taking the time, Chris, and all the people here tonight to express support.”
“Thank you. It’s the only way we’ll hear concerns is when people take the time to come in,” said Council Vice Chair Randy Smith.
