Police policy panel completes study

GREENBUSH — Selectmen were informed by Town Manager Robert Littlefield Thursday night that the Special Police Department Policy Committee had completed its study and was in the process of drafting the final copy which will be presented to the board at its next meeting.

After the selectmen review the policy, a public hearing will be scheduled.

Littlefield said he has been informed that officials from another town with a constable-deputy form of law enforcement have asked for a copy of the report so they may use it as a guide for their town.

Ever since the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department ruled that local constables could no longer use their own vehicles for police work, said Littlefield, many towns have decided to purchase cruisers and reorganize their police departments.

On a related matter, selectmen discussed the possibility of purchasing a pager for the town’s constable. When he used his own vehicle, the constable could be contacted on his police radio. Now that the town has a cruiser and the radio has been installed in it, they cannot always reach the constable when he is using his own vehicle. The matter will be considered further when selectmen begin budget deliberations for next year.

Near the end of the meeting selectmen realized that the police policy committee had never been formally appointed. Creation of the committee had been discussed and volunteers solicited. A group came together and did the policy study requested by the selectmen. Selectmen then officially appointed the committee. It will be a standing committee, said Littlefield, because they expect to have to revise the policies as different issues arise.

The manager reported that information has been forwarded to Carpenter Associates in Old Town about the space needs for the proposed new town office building. The selectmen are considering converting one of the former portable classrooms into a town office. Carpenter Associates designed the classroom structure for the town and it will be doing the redesign to convert it to a town office complex. A report from the firm with its suggestions is expected soon, Littlefield said.

Selectmen set election hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, for the special referendum on school funding. Residents will be asked to authorize the selectmen to raise a bond amounting to $917,485, for an addition of six classrooms at the elementary school.

On another matter, selectmen talked about a confusing situation for some Greenfield residents. Ever since Greenfield became a disorganized township, residents have not been sure where they could vote during state elections. Some Greenfield residents tried to vote at Greenbush, but they were told they could not. Greenfield voters can only vote in those communities within their own legislative district, which would include towns where Ralph Coffman is the legislative representative, towns such as Bradley, portions of Old Town, Alton and Milford.