ORONO, Maine — A bill for the costs associated with multiple law enforcement agencies responding to an out-of-control party in April has been sent to the management of the town’s largest apartment complex, according to the chief of police.
The Grove on Monday was issued a bill for $737.37 for the April 29 incident, Orono Police Chief Josh Ewing said. Four police agencies that submitted invoices are expected to receive a portion of the money based on the number of personnel and time involved.
Multiple agencies were called to help break up the crowd estimated at between 200 and 400 people. Law enforcement personnel from Orono, the University of Maine, Old Town, Veazie, the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency went to the student apartment complex near the University of Maine, Ewing said. Not all submitted invoices seeking reimbursement.
“Approximately 12 officers responded from the area agencies, and four more Orono [officers] arrived,” Ewing said in a previous interview. “The number is really determined by the availability of officers, as determined by each responding agency. All the area agencies have had to respond to the Grove in the past, so it’s reasonable for all available officers to respond considering the previous incidents.”
Ewing said he and Officer Chase Haass were initially called to the complex. The two Orono policemen investigated and found people fighting around a vehicle with a smashed front windshield. Tyler Nicoletti, 20, of Orono was arrested for criminal mischief after he reportedly fell or jumped on the car, and damaged it.
Nicoletti was led away by Haass, Ewing said.
“At approximately 4:22 p.m., I radioed dispatch and requested units from Old Town and Veazie to assist with the crowd, which was starting to get out of control,” Ewing said. “This was immediately after the broken car windshield and arrest, which seemed to wind the crowd up. I was now alone, with the other officer taking the arrestee to his car on the other side of the complex.”
The number of people at The Grove, which houses up to 620 tenants, had been increasing throughout the day, Ewing said.
“At 4:27, I believe dispatch asked if I needed more units,” Ewing said. “I hadn’t seen any units arriving, so I asked that they send whatever area units were available. I wanted sufficient capability to maintain control of the situation, and be able to disperse the crowd, if necessary.”
Once several police officers arrived, the incident ended quickly, Ewing said.
“In this situation, the crowd largely self-monitored,” Ewing said. After additional law enforcement units arrived, “it calmed down and slowly dispersed after about 30 more minutes.”
Police have had similar experiences in the past at the complex.
On Sept. 6, the first Saturday night of the fall semester, police from as far as Hampden were called to The Grove to help Orono police disperse a loud party with about 300 to 400 people in attendance, many of them University of Maine students.
Three people were arrested, and an Old Town police officer suffered a broken leg as a result of the melee. A similar party took place at the complex when it opened in 2012.
A town ordinance enables the recovery of costs for police response services. According to the ordinance, the town can charge “the salaries of the responding officers, at their hourly rate, for the amount of time actually spent in responding to or remaining at the large event; appropriate overhead; the actual cost of any medical treatment to injured officers; and the cost of repairing any damaged town equipment or property.”
“They [the responding agencies] send us the invoices, and we bill The Grove,” Ewing said.
The Grove paid “just over $1,600 for the response” in September, Ewing said.
The breakdown of the current bill is as follows: $165.69 for Orono, $120 for the University of Maine, $35 for Veazie and $416.68 for Maine State Police.
A message left seeking comment from The Grove’s management Tuesday was not immediately returned.