Chief deputy’s crime notes and tips

By Bob Young
Piscataquis County
Sheriff’s Department

    On Monday, March 24, the Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the death of a young woman in Monson. Her body was found behind the town community building [old school] on Main Street. There is nothing suspicious in the sense that this is not a homicide. It is being investigated with the Medical Examiners Office to determine all of the factors leading up to her death. We have had reports of gunshots in that area of Monson on Saturday afternoon and folks are concerned about a possible connection. While we do not know the source of the gun shots people heard, we can say conclusively that those gunshots are not connected to this death investigation.

    Police are charged with investigating any death that is not “attended” by medical personnel. That can be death by accident, suicide, homicide, overdose or natural causes. Often it takes an extended time before the laboratory results are received and conclusive information can be released.
    Over the past week deputies handled car accidents in Moosehead Jct., Sebec [two] and Parkman. Worked traffic stops in Shirley, Sebec, Monson, Guilford, Abbot and Parkman and answered burglary alarms in Abbot and Willimantic. We conducted several “well-being” checks on people who had not been heard from in several days, and we helped a mother whose 14-year-old was out of control.
    We handled a patient causing a disturbance at a doctor’s office, several harassment calls in Guilford and tried to resolve a dispute over tools in Sangerville. Many disputes over property are not issues that the police can resolve; they aren’t thefts or violations of criminal laws. They are civil and the correct way to proceed is through small claims court.
    There was a domestic violence case in Abbot, two folks arrested for bail violations and a guy threatening with a baseball bat in Guilford. We arrested Tammy Glidden for OUI, Anson Lapointe for criminal speed, Branson Curtis for violation of bail conditions and Amanda Moreau for violation of bail conditions.
    There was a bomb threat at Piscataquis Community Elementary School in Guilford. As a precaution the school was evacuated while deputies and fire fighters searched for an explosive device. The threat was tracked back to a third-grader who is being dealt with the by the school and parents.
    Bomb threats are serious for several reasons: they disrupt the school day and learning activities, they tie up deputies and firefighters, they make kids uneasy and worried about being safe. For those reasons we take them very seriously and arrest the perpetrators. However, third-graders are too young to arrest, leaving the disposition to parents and the school. While it is unlikely that a bomb is actually planted or that any person who planted a bomb would notify authorities, no one is willing to gamble on it being a prank or false alarm.
    Tip of the week: Over the past week we’ve received many calls regarding an organization seeking donations for local fire departments. A fundraising company will telephone you, stating they are calling on behalf of your FD and asking you to give, with the money going to your local FD. While what they are doing is legal, and you have the option of giving through them or not, you may find it wiser to give directly to your local fire crew. It is legal to solicit donations for various projects, including the fire department. But you should know that part of what you give is kept by the organization to cover their expenses. Another option, if you want to give extra to these organizations, is to give it directly to the FD, or attend an event they sponsor such as yard sales, or buy a raffle ticket.
    However, it is illegal for law enforcement agencies to solicit donations; the exception is that donations can be solicited for the D.A.R.E. program. If you become aware of a project your local law enforcement agency is involved with, for example bike safety, and want to make a donation towards bike helmets, you can do that. But it must be on your own, your own initiative and without any pressure to give. If you receive phone calls soliciting money for your sheriff’s department, it’s not from us and you should not give.