Dexter council approves police management evaluation proposal
DEXTER — The Dexter Town Council approved a proposal for a police management evaluation by the Maine Chiefs of Police Association during an Oct. 8 meeting.
For $8,500, plus potential expenses incurred over three months, three retired Maine police chiefs will conduct an independent audit of the Dexter Police Department and look at more than a dozen areas.
The study would be the first for the department and would evaluate the management of police services and recommend any changes that would benefit the department and the citizens of Dexter. The findings would also help the council evaluate a department request to add a sixth officer and several other positions.
The current police budget is more than $712,000, up by $30,000, Council Chair Marcia Delaware said.
The police department sent the council its own comprehensive and well done report, she said. “But it starts right off saying the recommended operating budget remains $890,000 to $920,000.”
The department recommends adding another officer to bring the roster to six to better provide full, continuous coverage, and also requested a corporal position, administrative assistant and training officer.
Additional benefits and an increased training budget are also requested. These could impact other municipal departments, “because you cannot take one department and give them more than the others,” Delaware said.
The Maine Chiefs of Police Association could give Dexter an outside perspective with a police management evaluation. Dexter officials would receive a copy of a review for Darmariscotta conducted by the Maine Chiefs of Police Association.
“One of the objectives about Darmariscotta that I really liked coming from these objective police chiefs was the intent of the report is not to criticise the present police department, its practices or those responsible for them, rather it is present in an objective fashion, a comprehensive set of recommendations which, if adopted, should result in improvements in the effectiveness and the efficiency of Dexter PD,” Delaware said.
She believes the council is doing due diligence on a sixth officer request by the Dexter Police Department. If the Maine Chiefs of Police Association report concurs then town officials will determine how to fund the position.
“The council never before has had an opportunity to have such an objective review of Dexter PD to give us the information, the factual information we need to have a sixth officer, increase the budget $200,000 and I am so excited that there was a method that we could do an objective review without any prejudice from members of the council,” Delaware said.
Police Chief Kevin Wintle said he is not against having the Maine Chiefs of Police Association evaluation, but was concerned with the cost and thought the $8,500-plus could be spent elsewhere. Wintle expressed concern about low-income and/or elderly residents dealing with winter.
“Right now I feel the PD’s in good standing,” he said. “We definitely do need a sixth officer.”
Wintle has also reviewed the report for Damariscotta. He said this agency does not run 24/7 despite a $907,000 budget while Dexter “cannot shut down at 2 o’clock.”
“We know what’s going on out there and we really need two officers going 24/7,” Wintle said about safety concerns such as when requesting backup. He said both Newport and Dover-Foxcroft police departments have seven officers.
Wintle said some colleagues at a state police chiefs meeting were shocked at Dexter’s five-officer count.
“I realize we are not really a rich town but we really need to take care of our police officers,” he said.
Dexter Police has part-time officers who can decline to work shifts if they have conflicts, the chief said.
Wintle suggested having a town committee instead look at the department. Should the council vote to proceed with the Maine Chiefs of Police Association evaluation , he would support it.
“This report will educate all of us on the work being done by the police department,” Councilor Dan Hutchins said. “Whatever it does, we’re in a better position to vote and be able to know what’s going on. As it is now I have no idea.”
“For $8,500 I think it’s very inexpensive and affordable,” Councilor Adam Briggs said, adding that the report would provide tangible information to base decisions on.
The council unanimously approved having Town Manager Trampas King sign an agreement for the evaluation.
“That’s why we are doing an independent audit so it’s nobody’s opinion in the town, it is going to be three retired Maine chiefs who are going to come in,” Delaware said after the vote. “We want cold, hard facts.”
“I think it’s a marvelous opportunity for outside influence to come in and tell us what they see,” she said.
In other business, the council accepted an approximate $45,400 bid from Quirk Ford of Augusta for a 2026 sport utility vehicle
“Last week we had an unfortunate accident,” King said. “One of our police officers was hit from behind with our newest car, our 2023. The car’s totaled.”
In April Dexter had three quotes within $500 of each other. Of the three dealerships, Quirk Ford was ready so the damaged cruiser — which is all paid for — will be sent to Augusta so equipment can be moved into the new SUV. This should be ready in about a month to then limit the use of the other two police vehicles which both have higher mileage.
At the November council meeting, money for the purchase will likely be moved out of a reserve account.
King mentioned several items in this report.
American Legion Pouliot-Seavey Post 53 held its inaugural Touch a Truck event in the municipal parking lot the previous Saturday.
“About 2.5 hours into it we had a fire and we lost half our vehicles,” King said.
A Halloween trunk or treat event is scheduled for the back parking lot from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31. Hannaford will again be donating candy, the Dexter Sunrise Kiwanis will be serving doughboys and costume contests are planned.
He said the beach area is being winterized. Bathrooms are shut down and the docks will be pulled later in the month.