Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sagadahoc sheriff warns understaffing has cut patrol activity; forfeiture funds eyed for radar, not ATV
Summary
Sheriff Joel Merry reported four open patrol positions and a 15–20% year-over-year drop in calls and traffic stops, attributing reductions to minimum staffing. Commissioners confirmed forfeiture funds were accepted but deferred formal purchase decisions; Merry plans a formal radar proposal for Oct. 28.
Sheriff Joel Merry told the Sagadahoc County commissioners that the Sheriff’s Office is operating with significant vacancies and that staffing shortages are the likeliest explanation for a 15–20% year-over-year decline in calls and roughly half the usual number of traffic stops.
"With four open patrol deputy positions, as well as people taking vacations, filling shifts is currently a struggle," Merry said, noting one experienced candidate declined a job offer and two conditional offers remain active. He said the office has pushed candidates toward the Maine Criminal Justice Academy to speed availability and asked whether the board wanted conditional approval to hire before the next regular meeting.
Merry also updated commissioners on corrections and monitoring: Sagadahoc had 23 of 177 inmates at Two Bridges Regional Jail and was monitoring 16 people on pretrial services, two on electronic monitoring. The office is seeking a new vendor for electronic monitoring and expects the number of monitored individuals to rise once the transition is complete.
On the use of seized (forfeiture) funds, commissioners confirmed the funds had been accepted and the acceptance form signed, but they had not authorized specific expenditures. Merry said he and senior staff discussed using the money to replace older speed radar units under a "buy four, get one free" arrangement and that proposal would be brought to the Oct. 28 meeting. He said the ATV/side-by-side request discussed previously was more of a "want" than a need and staff were leaning away from it.
Commissioners discussed procedural steps for hiring and Academy enrollment, including the option of a special meeting to finalize hires quickly. Treasurer Gail Eaton and Commissioner Charles Crosby raised questions about whether listing candidate names early could affect their current employment; Merry said candidates further along in the process are not currently serving as officers.
The next step: Merry will present a formal procurement proposal for radar units at the Oct. 28 meeting; commissioners agreed to consider a special meeting if necessary to approve hires sooner.
