South Berwick council approves highway-safety grant amid debate over patrol lighting

The South Berwick Town Council voted unanimously to accept a highway-safety grant for traffic enforcement after a detailed presentation and extended discussion about the tactics the funding would support.

The police chief told the council the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety offered grant funding to support speed details and overtime patrols. The chief said the award includes a base amount (reported during the meeting as roughly $11,953.50) and referenced overall program figures; a motion on the floor at the meeting specified $11,950.52 as the grant the council was authorizing the police department to access. "We will be getting that money back" in next years budget cycle, the chief said, and described how matching funds could be covered by existing overtime allocations.

Councilors and members of the public questioned which roadways would be covered, how the towns 69-plus miles of roads were prioritized, and whether the patrols would employ high-visibility tactics such as steady-burn blue lights. The chief argued that steady-burn blue lights present tactical and safety problems: he said steady visible blue lights could create ambush risks for officers and lead motorists to pull over unnecessarily, potentially causing confusion or crashes. "I will not subject my officers to be ambushed," he said, and urged limiting steady-burn use to special events.

Other councilors said high-visibility patrols can deter speeding and reduce crashes if used correctly; one councilor described a close call when a parked patrol vehicle was hard to see at night. The council discussed how to balance deterrence, officer safety and public clarity about enforcement.

After questions and discussion, councilors made and seconded a motion to authorize the police department to accept the grant amount discussed on the floor. The motion was seconded and the council voted Aye (5-0).