HOULTON, Maine — Members of the Caribou Police Department will now be able to patrol ATV trails outside of the city limits.
The Aroostook County commissioners gave their unanimous approval Sept. 4 to a plan to deputize nine Caribou police officers to the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department for a three-year time period.
According to Sheriff James Madore, deputizing the nine Caribou officers for ATV trail patrols will help both departments.
“This is specifically for ATV details outside of their (Caribou’s) city limits, within our jurisdiction,” Madore said. “The only officers approved for these details are ones who have taken the ATV safety course.”
ATV details typically involve patrolling area trails, looking for offenders who may be consuming alcohol or operating an ATV illegally. The details are often done in conjunction with the Maine Warden Service.
Funding for the multi-jurisdictional task force comes from grant money the Sheriff’s Department secured. A similar grant was received about five years ago for the same purpose.