FORT KENT, Maine — The Fort Kent Police Department is using a $125,000 federal grant to add an additional officer to the current four full-time force.
According to Chief Tom Pelletier, the Community Oriented Policing Services — or “COPS” — funds will pay for up to 75 percent of the new officer’s salary for three years. At the end of three years the town commits to paying the new officer’s salary for at least a year.
“The Fort Kent Police Department currently has three full-time patrol officers, myself and five reserve part-time officers to cover our area 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year,” Pelletier said. “We are currently unable to staff this schedule.”
Increased staffing will go a long way toward reaching Pelletier’s goal of having more involvement in the community, beyond standard police work and investigating crimes, he said.
“I want us to be more involved with our schools, businesses and social groups,” Pelletier said. “This will really help us get out into the community better.”
At the same time, Pelletier pointed out that, other than the obvious size and population differences, Fort Kent does not differ much from big cities when it comes to crime.
“We have the same kinds of crime they see in places like New York or Detroit, including drugs, domestic abuse and violent crimes,” he said. “We may not have the frequency, but we also often have just one officer responding to a call where in the bigger cities they can have dozens of back-up officers.”
Pelletier said his officers are responsible for patrolling a 13-mile stretch of the international border with Canada and that it includes a university, a hospital with two psychiatric wards, a high school, an elementary school, two 24-hour convenience stores, five banks and several bars.
“We are responsible for the safety and security of our schools, the university, our hospital and our community,” Pelletier said.
Part of the U.S. Department of Justice, COPS is responsible for advancing the practice of community policing for the federal, local, territorial and tribal law enforcement agencies, according to its website.
COPS annually awards grants funding hiring of officers, developing policing strategies and training.
In Maine, in addition to Fort Kent, departments in Norway, Old Town, Winslow and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office each received $125,000 grants.
“It is critically important that we provide law enforcement with the resources needed to keep our communities safe,” U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King said in a joint statement supporting Fort Kent’s grant application. “This investment signifies a strong commitment to the men and women who are fighting crime and protecting our communities every day.”
Pelletier said he got word of his grant’s funding in September and is now actively recruiting for a new hire.
“Preferably we’d like someone with some experience,” he said. “But we are certainly willing to train the right person.”
