Committee approves amended LD 2165 to give State Police supervisory authority over Capitol Police

The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted to approve LD 2165 as amended, a bill to change supervisory authority over the Capitol Police so the Department of Public Safety may place a Maine State Police lieutenant in a supervisory role or hire a chief, and to allow the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee to carry out certain hiring and integration actions.

Representative Tavis Hasenfus moved the committee adopt the amended language, which integrates paragraph one of the bill with language from DPS and union proposals and explicitly allows either a State Police lieutenant or a hired chief to fill the supervisory role; Senator Curry seconded the motion. After debate, the motion carried by a recorded vote: seven in favor, five opposed and one abstention.

Major Tyler Stevenson of the Maine State Police described operational steps the department would take under the proposal: assigning a lieutenant to oversee Capitol Police operations, integrating records and dispatch systems, extending access to body camera footage and pulling additional state resources for large incidents. "Getting the de facto chief back in there...to provide them supervision, a direct link to the rest of the command staff," Stevenson said, explaining the plan would occur over time and mostly through attrition.

Mike Sassaman, Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, told the committee he supported the change to improve resource allocation, operational efficiency and crisis response. He told members he had heard concerns from Capitol Police staff after the chief was placed on administrative leave and cited an increase in threats to the complex. "Numbers that I've discussed with this group in the past is a 180% increase in threats," the Commissioner said, arguing consolidation with State Police would allow more rapid access to training, equipment and mutual aid.

Opponents and skeptical members raised concerns about troopers being pulled from other duties, recruitment and pay at the Capitol Police, and whether hiring a new chief would be a preferable alternative. Representative Harlow warned that embedding troopers with dual patrol obligations could increase stress and workload. The Commissioner and Major Stevenson responded that troopers assigned to the Capitol Police troop would be full-time assigned to that duty and that minimum staffing levels would be maintained.

The committee approved the amended LD 2165 and granted permission for members to continue working with DPS, the Capitol Police and unions to finalize statutory language and reclassification mechanics. The amended bill will proceed through the legislative process with the committee recommendation.