Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local resident asks Select Board for full investigation into police response, alleges mishandling of incident
Summary
A Skowhegan resident told the Select Board she and neighbors experienced repeated public-safety incidents and alleged that officers mishandled calls and retaliated; she asked the board to investigate the conduct of two officers and said she has body/dash cam and 911 records she had requested.
At the Select Board’s public-comment period, a resident identified as Rebecca told the board she and neighbors have faced escalating drug use, public indecency, threats and assaults near her home and said multiple 911 calls and on-scene responses did not produce adequate evidence collection or action by officers.
Rebecca said on June 4 she intervened when she saw a man handling a toddler in a way she viewed as threatening; she said calling 911 and presenting a safely secured firearm on her property led officers to issue her a harassment notice and refuse a no-trespass request for the person she accused. She told the board a corporal told her he would arrest her if she had a firearm on her in future calls. She said officers declined to take witness statements or to collect video evidence she offered. Rebecca said she filed a formal complaint and asked the board to “fully investigate the conduct of Officer Romo and Corporal Willhoite” and to review prior complaints for potential patterns of misconduct.
Her 11-year-old daughter, Zoe, also addressed the board and said the family no longer feels safe in their home because of repeated public disturbances and from what she described as an unsatisfactory police response.
Board response: The select board accepted the written materials Rebecca provided and said they would pass them along to the appropriate offices; staff said the resident would be contacted about records requests. Board members did not take an immediate action to open an independent investigation during the meeting; they described next steps as gathering the requested records and routing complaints through the department’s established processes.
What was provided: The resident said she had 911 call records, body- and dash-camera footage requests and written complaint materials; she handed copies to the board during public comment.
Ending: The board acknowledged the complaint and accepted documentation; staff said records and complaint files would be tracked and that the resident should expect follow-up. The Select Board did not announce an independent investigation at the meeting.
