Piscataquis police address speeding, traffic violations

DOVER-FOXCROFT – Piscataquis County Sheriff John Goggin said Tuesday he would encourage more unified work details between his department and local police in an effort to curb speeding and other traffic violations.

“Speeding is probably one of the biggest complaints that I receive in the office,” Goggin said Tuesday during an annual meeting of the Piscataquis County commissioners, municipal officials and local police.

The commissioners hold the annual meeting to give municipal officials and local police an opportunity to learn about the activities of the sheriff’s department and to share concerns they may have about law enforcement.

About 20 people attended the meeting, including municipal officials and police from Milo, Brownville, Dover-Foxcroft, Abbot, Willimantic and Greenville.

Goggin said his department’s attention is focused in so many directions that officers sometimes forget about the basic law enforcement functions such as speed details. A new moveable trailer that displays the current speeds of vehicles has been ordered by the county commissioners for the sheriff’s department and that unit will be loaned to local police departments, he said.

“We’re hoping the speed sign will be a step in the right direction” to curtail some of these complaints, Goggin said.

The sheriff said there is a misconception in the community that his department has a huge staff. He said while there are many employees in the jail and in communications, he only has six full-time officers to handle all of the investigations and complaints over two shifts, vacations and schooling.

Greenville Town Manager John Simko said his municipal police department is often asked to handle complaints like truck traffic in the Unorganized Territory or the Town of Shirley. Individuals are encouraged to call the sheriff’s department, he said. Simko suggested that all departments could do a better job educating the public about the use of 911 which will connect a caller with an emergency to a county dispatcher.

That prompted Goggin to note that 911 calls on cellular telephones are routed to the Maine State Police rather than the sheriff’s department. A changeover to correct that has been promised for some time but hasn’t yet happened, he said.

Simko said such a move would help provide a quicker response on some rescue calls since the local dispatchers are more familiar with the region.

The changeover also was encouraged by Cindy Freeman-Cyr of Womancare who said domestic violence victims need quick response. She suggested an organized effort by the towns in the county might bring a quicker resolution.

Cyr, a Dover-Foxcroft selectman, also suggested an education campaign to help residents understand how resources are shared and how their tax dollars are spent. From the municipal level, “We’re taking a hit from a cadre of taxpayers,” she said.

Goggin agreed. “We’ve got to get over these boundary lines and these turf wars” and share the resources, he said. Not every department needs a fingerprint expert or a pumper truck, he said. As required by statute, Goggin said his department concentrates its efforts in communities with no police departments but does assist those towns that do have a local department such as Milo.

Because of a work injury, Milo Police Chief Michael Poulin has been on limited duty in past weeks. At the same time, one of his officers has been attending the police academy which left the department shorthanded. Brownville police and the sheriff’s department stepped to the plate.

“Your support has been tremendous,” Milo Town Manager Jeff Gahagan told Goggin Tuesday. Poulin, too, praised the department’s efforts. “I’m very happy with the professional relationship we’ve built.

As to the operation of the jail, Goggin said the county had signed a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the boarding of illegal immigrants. He said six officials from ICE had inspected the jail over a two-day period and found little wrong before signing the contract. The jail continues also to board federal prisoners.

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