Vinalhaven residents on Wednesday night shot down a proposal to continue paying the Knox County Sheriffs Office to police their community.<\/p>\n
The Courier-Gazette reports that the proposed $125,335 contract was the only item out of 48 on the town meeting warrant to fail.<\/p>\n
That comes after residents have complained about ineffective police coverage following a series of high-profile incidents on the island.<\/p>\n
In March, the island attracted national attention after a group of armed men allegedly tried to force out-of-staters to quarantine during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic by cutting down a tree to block their driveway.<\/p>\n
Then, on June 14, 28-year-old Roger Feltis died from knife wounds. Feltis had filed a harassment complaint with a sheriffs deputy against Dorian Ames three days before his death, which police ruled a homicide. A Knox County grand jury declined to indict Ames in the death earlier this month. Details about the circumstances around Feltis death are still unclear.<\/p>\n
Vinalhaven has contracted with the sheriffs office for police coverage for decades, according to the Courier-Gazette. It is one of two towns the other is North Haven that have a dedicated officer, Knox County Sheriff Tim Carroll told the newspaper.<\/p>\n
The previous contract with the sheriffs office expired on Dec. 31, 2019.<\/p>\n
Vinalhaven Town Manager Andrew Dorr told the Courier-Gazette that residents have questioned the quality of the service, complained about coverage gaps and that the bill for it is too high.<\/p>\n
Carroll acknowledged that a bone of contention between the islanders and his office is that a deputy does not live on the island full time. Under the expired contract, the town paid $750 a month for housing and up to $4,500 for heating and electricity for a deputy, the Courier-Gazette reports.<\/p>\n
Another town meeting will be scheduled in the coming weeks to discuss police coverage, including options ranging from reviewing the contract with the sheriffs office and starting an island-based police force, according to the newspaper.<\/p>\n
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Originally posted here:<\/p>\n
Vinalhaven residents reject paying county sheriff to continue patrolling the island - Bangor Daily News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Vinalhaven residents on Wednesday night shot down a proposal to continue paying the Knox County Sheriffs Office to police their community. The Courier-Gazette reports that the proposed $125,335 contract was the only item out of 48 on the town meeting warrant to fail Continue reading