MEDWAY, Maine — Medway will begin seeking alternative police services after rejecting a draft proposal from East Millinocket to increase that town’s annual police-coverage fee by $20,500, town Administrative Assistant Kathy Lee said Tuesday.
With Selectman Rob Farrington absent, the Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 on Monday to give East Millinocket 60-day notice that Medway would not accept the proposal from the town to pay $110,000 annually for police coverage, Lee said.
Selectman David Dickey told board members that the town lately has “not been getting our patrol needs met,” though good coverage had been provided in the past, Lee said. Lee said she didn’t know why that might be.
“I think they have had a hard time with [retaining] their reserves,” Lee said Tuesday.
East Millinocket Police Chief Garold “Twig” Cramp did not return a message seeking comment on Tuesday.
Medway lacks its own police force. It has for many years contracted police services with East Millinocket, the closest municipal police force. The last increase in police service fees came in 2009, Lee said, when Medway agreed to pay $89,500 instead of $85,000.
Selectmen Bruce Cox and Galen Kimball agreed to investigate options, Lee said. The options include state police, who post an officer in the Howland area, and the Penobscot County Deputy Sheriff’s Department, which patrols Mattawamkeag and Chester, among other areas.
State police and sheriff’s deputies come through Medway regularly on their way to other areas they patrol and to back up police and fire services when needed.
Lee said she didn’t know whether the selectmen’s vote meant that contracting with East Millinocket’s police was no longer an option.
Cox and Kimball could not be reached for comment.
Earlier, selectmen had considered combining the Medway and East Millinocket volunteer fire departments as part of an effort to replace retired Medway Fire Chief John Lee, increase training opportunities and volunteer membership and decrease costs for both departments. That effort appears to have been shelved.
First the Fire Dept. , now the Police Dept., what is next educate their students at Medway Middle School? Though over a $20,000 a year jump is a sustantial one,though with the price of Obama gas still rising it may cost that much more to Patrol such a large area.
They think Quimby is going to give them a huge sum of money for supporting the park !! HAHA
East needs to pull out of their Middle School. Disgusting what they allow teachers and students to get away with.
They’ll figure out that East was losing money not making money on the deal.
Counting on State Police from Howland? Surely you jest? Nearest State Police were 3.5 hours away when needed early Tuesday morning. And why would they still be entertaining the idea of combining with East for fire? They already hired a consultant to find them a new Fire Chief?
I think Medway is getting to big for their britches. If they want to go on their own let them. East has been carrying them for over 55 years.
It will be made clear real soon who has been carrying who.
This doesn’t make any sense. In some cases East Millinocket seems to spend more time in Medway because they seem to have more calls whether it be domestic or drug related or even a simple 10-55! I guess I would feel bad for the residents of Medway having to wait for a sheriff or State Police considering they could be 30 minutes away, the least, when they get East Mill within 2 to 5 minutes. Their highway will not get patrolled. Town of Medway has to do some RE-figuring because this is B.S.!!!! Hope the Medway residents get involved with this! This would be pathetic. Should have just kept the old Medway Police Department if you don’t like how it is now. Hopefully this doesn’t turn into a fued between the two towns. East and Millinocket already have their differences.
30 mins on State Police try 3 hours. That is the every day norm for a wreck on 95, a call on the Brownville Rd, or a call on the Golden Road.
I think this might have more to do with the type of coverage. From experience I tend to see both cop cars in East far more often than in Medway.
If you want police protection hire you own officers and cover all the expenses. You will see that it is expensive. Then you can pay them overtime if you want more coverage or less if you dont.
I think what people fail to see in this situation is that Medway is looking to the future of what is best for the town, There is one paper machine running in East, how long will this last? When the mill shuts down for the last and finall time East wont have enough money to patch the potholes. Medway will have both a good FD and PD in place and East will be looking to Medway for coverage. Before this happens Schenck will have already closed and all the kids will be going somewhere else.
This situation just begs for some competent investigative reporting.