BAILEYVILLE — Although most residents voted with their feet and stayed home, about 20 attended at meeting Monday night to offer their comments on the Police Department.

During the past few months the department has had an interim police chief. Before it makes a permanent appointment, the Town Council decided to solicit advice from residents about the future of the department.

The five-member department comprises three full-time officers, a sergeant and a chief. The department also has relied on as many as 12 part-time officers to fill in when needed.

After the departure last year of Chief Michael Coty, Officer Phil Harriman was named interim chief, and that has left the department with two full-time officers and a sergeant. At present there are only six part-time officers to fill in.

Several years ago, the Town Council held a meeting similar to Monday’s session, and that prompted resident Bob Norman to question why town officials were examining the Police Department yet again.

Councilor Charlie Towns explained that with changes in staffing, the councilors believed it would be a good time to make certain the department was in line with the town’s needs.

The meeting Monday night was facilitated by members of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Lou Bassano, an Extension educator, said the group would look at not only the contributions the Baileyville Police Department makes to the town but also the town’s needs.

“What we hope to do tonight is have a little more communication. We want to hear from the police officers about challenges they face that we might not be aware of. … We just need a chance to sit down and communicate and see where we want to go,” said Jack Clukey, town manager.

Harriman said he hoped it would be a meeting to end all meetings. “Not to say that we can’t get together like this, but I would like to see us come out with the creation of a vision so we know where we are going,” he said.

The recommendations from the audience were as varied as the people who were there. It was clear the participants wanted a working relationship between the Police Department and the schools. They applauded the police officers’ efforts with the D.A.R.E. program, but stressed that they would like the programs aimed at junior high and high school students.

The overwhelming theme was that the town must have enough police officers on duty to provide adequate coverage. Residents also recommended that the department continue to be staffed by a chief and four officers.

Some offered wish-list items that included a trained police dog to work with drug enforcement officers, and two-officer shifts so officers could patrol in pairs. Some suggested that the police could make themselves more visible by patrolling on foot during morning and afternoon hours when students are going to and from school, and at the shift changes at the town’s largest employer, Georgia-Pacific Corp.

The group also focused on the department’s small work space. One speaker suggested the department move into one of the vacant stores in town. Another suggested that the town erect a building next to the town office for use by the Police Department.

When the participants were asked to summarize their reaction to the meeting, it was clear they had welcomed the chance to advise town officials about the future of the department.

“There are people in this community who care, and the police are part of that,” one woman told the town councilors. “You need to support them and support parents. You need to quit this junk about downsizing or upsizing, or giving this or giving them that. Just support them so they can support us.”