CARIBOU, Maine — The Aroostook Opioid Task Force is proposing new bylaws after a controversial decision by county officials to hire a school cop with national opioid settlement funds.
Aroostook County Commissioners voted in May to spend $209,198 to hire an Aroostook County sheriff’s deputy for a one-year pilot program. The deputy would cover six schools: Easton, Limestone, Caswell, Ashland, Mars Hill, and Washburn, all part of the nonprofit Central Aroostook Council on Education.
The decision sparked public outcry from people in the recovery community who said the move came without task force approval and that there are more effective ways to address prevention.
They and task force members wanted commissioners to reverse the plan, but that isn’t happening.
“The County’s commitment to the [Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence] program has not changed, and we remain focused on using opioid settlement funds responsibly and for their intended purpose,” County Administrator Justin Tibbetts said Wednesday.
Aroostook’s controversy echoes battles that have plagued other Maine communities over how to spend the settlement money and who dictates that spending. In Penobscot County, for instance, Bangor’s decision to use funds for an HIV program drew the ire of the recovery community, while others railed against the county’s secret allotment of settlement funds. Waldo County spent thousands of dollars without disclosing how.
The national settlement, a result of harm caused by highly addictive opioids, will bring $261 million to Maine and nearly $2.69 million to Aroostook County through 2038.
The new task force bylaws include a funding review process that would include standardized scoring approved by members. Any outside input would also need the group’s approval. The proposal also includes removal of members for lack of attendance or conflict of interest, and allowing members to participate without term limits, according to task force records.
Claire Nichols, an Aroostook County educator who serves on the board of Michael’s Active Recovery in Fort Kent, criticized the plan in a recent Bangor Daily News opinion column in which she called DARE-type prevention efforts a “failed approach.”
Nichols also criticized the amount of funding and wondered if any would go toward a police cruiser for the officer.
The county does not anticipate spending the full amount allotted for the deputy, and no vehicle has been purchased for the position, Tibbetts said Wednesday. If a vehicle is necessary, settlement money would be spent only on uses related to the program.
Any hours the officer works outside of the schools will be funded through the sheriff’s office budget, he said.
Melanie Tompkins, a licensed clinical social worker and co-founder of Aroostook Organizers for Change, hosted a public forum about the school cop plan in June.
“I don’t think any of us think an SRO is actually the best way to solve the opioid crisis,” she said at the time.
RSU 39, which covers Caribou and Stockholm, recently eliminated its resource officer position in favor of more direct mental health support for students. Speakers at the forum said that would be more effective than having a cop travel to six schools.
David White, who lost his daughter Hanah to a drug overdose in 2022, also said the DARE-style approach does not work.
“There are so many other things [this money] can be spent on,” he said.
Kayla Moutinho, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and clinical supervisor, said she was arrested at 16 for selling marijuana behind her school. The school cop paraded her around, causing shame and humiliation, after which she was suspended. She was not offered any resources to help her overcome her substance use disorder, she said.
Task force member Brooke Nadeau resigned shortly after the commissioners’ decision.
“This decision does not reflect transparency, collaboration, or the intended purpose behind these settlement funds,” she wrote in her resignation letter, which she shared with the Bangor Daily News. “The misuse of these funds goes directly against the [bylaws] which we developed to prevent this from occurring.”
Paul Underwood, county commissioners chairman, said the task force received no applications for the prevention pillar of the program in time for last year’s deadline. The commissioners also have final say on how the money is awarded, he said.
Underwood said the Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence program has been shown to reduce drug use by up to 75%, alcohol misuse by up to 60% and violence by up to 50%.
“Through this work, thousands of students are better prepared to resist negative influences and make informed decisions,” Underwood said. “Officers also help strengthen connections between schools, families and the community.”
Underwood said the commissioners acknowledge that the application process didn’t follow with prior processes and that they are addressing concerns about this moving forward.
“While we may not agree on how these funds should be allocated, we can all agree on the shared goal of providing strong prevention education for the youth of Aroostook County,” Underwood said.