Stonington
Continued sheriff’s services up for vote at town meeting
Anonymous tip line established

by David Walsh
The board of selectmen met last week with Sheriff William Clark and representatives from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department to discuss renewing the town’s contract for another year of policing services.

Because Town Manager Kathleen Billings-Pezaris is on vacation this week, Evelyn Duncan, who attended the meeting and is a member of the board of selectmen, reported on the meeting. She said, “It was a very positive meeting with about 10 people attending.”

She said the sheriff fielded questions from the public about what residents would like to see from a patrolman on duty.

In 2008, said Duncan, the town contracted for four days of eight-hour shifts with the sheriff’s department, but last year, due to budgetary needs, that was changed to three days of service.

The sheriff’s office provides all the equipment, cruiser and personnel needed for patrolling the community. The decision on whether to continue the service will be up to the residents at the annual town meeting Monday, March 1. Article 21 on this year’s town warrant requests an appropriation for law enforcement in the amount of $66,500 for three days a week.

The days of patrol will vary from week to week with no set pattern established for obvious reasons.

Duncan said people definitely wanted to see patrols heightened at Burnt Cove Market to prevent break-ins at the market and at V&S Pharmacy.

The town, as part of Hancock County, said Duncan, is entitled to services from the sheriff’s department, which responds when called in an emergency. The appropriation for law enforcement is for supplemental services because the town does not have a full-time police department.

Some downtown business owners expressed appreciation for the additional police services, Duncan said; they thought the police presence was an effective way to keep downtown quiet and stable, especially in the summertime.

The meeting lasted for 45 minutes, said Duncan, and the feedback was that, overall, the community members present were in support of the program.

During the course of the meeting, Sheriff Clark announced the establishment of an anonymous tip line. He said that area police agencies in Hancock County have joined to create a telephone line that citizens may call to leave information anonymously regarding any type of criminal activity. The number is 667-1401, which is toll-free from all phones in Hancock County. Clark said, “No attempt will be made to determine the identity of the caller, but callers may leave a name and number if they wish.”
The calls will be monitored by staff at the county level and passed along to the agency best suited to handle the call, he said.

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