Mark Holmquist, a retired Maine state trooper, is now police chief in Scarborough. Courtesy photo/Town of Scarborough
As we approach the end of 2023, I would like to highlight the top initiatives of our department over the last year. These initiatives included hiring new personnel to fill our ranks in the patrol division and dispatch, the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Program and the purchase of a core public safety software suite. I want to thank Town Manager Thomas Hall and our Town Council for their support of these initiatives as we look to better serve our evolving community.
Hiring
As a department, we place great emphasis into hiring the right people to serve our community. On average, we are able to hire a dispatcher or patrol officer within six to eight weeks after an application has been submitted. The hiring process includes an application packet screening, interview process, background investigation, polygraph, mental and physical health screening and the chief’s interview. Patrol candidates who are not a full-time certified officer are required to pass a physical agility test and become certified as a reserve officer through the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) through a three-phase process. One of the challenges in today’s job market is finding quality applicants to meet our minimum requirements and hiring these candidates in a timely manner before they accept a position with another law enforcement agency.
Once these steps have been successfully completed, applicants for both dispatch and patrol are assigned to a field training officer. The field training process typically lasts for approximately three to four months before an employee is able to work independently. Dispatchers receive approximately three weeks of training at the MCJA to become certified in the basics of dispatching, 911 call taking, emergency medical and emergency fire dispatching.
Upon completion of field training, patrol officers are assigned to a patrol shift for several months while waiting to attend the academy. Patrol officers are required to attend the resident 18-week basic academy at MCJA within one year of being hired to obtain a full-time certification. In 2023, we have been fortunate to have three officers certified through this process, with two additional officers scheduled to attend the academy in January 2024.
I commend the police department staff and our Human Resources Department for their steadfast efforts during the hiring processes. We have two detectives and two special enforcement officers who have been tasked with conducting the background investigations for each dispatch and patrol candidate, in addition to their normal duties. We also have one detective who conducts each polygraph examination for each candidate. The amount of work these officers have devoted to the hiring process has been tremendous. They are responsible for making a fair and accurate assessment of the viability of each candidate to be hired by our department. The background investigation and polygraph exam are key components to hiring the right individual to represent our department’s core values while serving the community.
I would also like to commend the efforts of our field training officers. These officers and dispatchers are the standard bearers for our department, making sure our new employees are trained at a high standard, can perform their duties in a fast-paced environment and can be an effective team member upon completion of their field training. It is important to me that each member of our department takes pride in their work and recognizes that the outstanding reputation we have with our community has to be earned each day through each interaction with the public.
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program
The second initiative I would like to highlight is the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Program. LEAD continued to thrive this year as a strategic and proactive way to divert individuals to a community-based, harm-reduction intervention for law violations driven by unmet behavioral health needs. The three-year Office of Justice Comprehensive Opioid Stimulant and Substance Use Site-Based Program grant awarded to Scarborough Police Department in 2021 continued to fund the full time LEAD case manager position and support some of the adverse challenges, including participants experiencing transportation costs and psychiatric care when an individual is waiting to secure insurance.
Social Services Manager Lauren Dembski-Martin has been diligently working with the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office and other community stakeholders to develop a presumptive diversion program throughout Cumberland County. Scarborough’s LEAD program has been a highlighted model in this process as the county continues to develop a strategic approach, which would allow for officers to offer a pathway out of the criminal justice system and into intensive case management and other support services.
Core Public Safety Software
Scarborough Public Safety utilizes a core public safety software suite comprising three main components, Law Enforcement Records Management (RMS), Fire Department Records Management (FMS), and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD). These software systems are critical to a successful modern public safety system. After a comprehensive selection and vetting process with the guidance of the Information Technology Department, the Town of Scarborough entered a contract with Tyler Technologies to replace and modernize our core software system with Tyler’s Enterprise Public Safety software suite. The Public Safety Team, in partnership with Tyler Technologies, has begun the development and implementation of this new software. The system is due to be fully operational by summer of 2024.
I am proud to serve with each member of our department and continue to be impressed with the way they conduct themselves with compassion, professionalism and integrity. Our department will continue to strive to meet today’s societal challenges impacting law enforcement while remaining community focused in the service we provide to our citizens. Please have a safe holiday season and thank you all for your support.
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