Large Maine Town Faces Vote That Could Terminate Their Police Department

Folks in Sabattus are facing a pretty big decision that could really change how law enforcement works in their town. According to an article from WGME 13, on June 9th, voters will head out to the polls and decide whether to keep the Sabattus Police Department or to dissolve it in favor of contracting services through the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office.

The debate comes at a time when the Sabattus Police Department is running with a skeleton crew of just six full-time officers and with no full-time police chief. As you can imagine, that's not super ideal. The town says that it would cost around $1 million to keep the department running for the upcoming fiscal year, the news station reported.

On the flip side, the sheriff’s office has offered the town a bit of a deal. The ACSO says that for $570,000, four deputies who would be assigned specifically to Sabattus and provide 24/7 coverage. WGME reports that if the town decides to go that route, it would cut nearly half a million from the budget while still maintaining a full-time patrol in town.

This isn’t the first time the issue has come up. The news station reports that back in 2021, residents voted to stick with their local department. But a few years, and a lot of different staffing challenges later, the idea to get rid of the local PD is now back on the table. It’s a choice between saving money or keeping local control of law enforcement.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened in Maine. You might remember our reporting recently on the Mexico, Maine Police Department and their decision to shut down the local PD in favor of Sheriff's Office coverage.

Whatever the town decides, it's good to know that Sabattus residents will still have officers covering, patrolling and protecting their town!