Dear Editor:

I am writing this letter as a result of my dismay as to why our town government here in Boothbay Harbor has decided to “nickel and dime” our police department. Our police department is one of the lowest paid departments in the state. From my understanding, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department starts their new officers at $22.00 per hour and Boothbay Harbor Police Department starts theirs at $18.00. This is quite a discrepancy for two police departments serving the same area. I believe our police officers are not asking for “pie in the sky” wages, they are simply asking for their pay rates to be in line with other police departments in the area and state.

Due to the fact that Boothbay Harbor is at the end of a peninsula, we do not have the comfort of having towns surrounding us who may be called when needed for assistance. Customarily, we must rely on Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, which is presently understaffed, and has a 30- to 50-minute response time to our region. During the busy summer months this is unacceptable. Also, more than once, over the past few years, Route 27 has been impassable during winter. All police departments are finding it difficult to hire new officers due to the fact that the police academy is temporarily closed due to our pandemic.

Our Department is also great ambassadors to our community, and Larry Brown works closely with the school department, which is important to our students, especially during these times. Also, we have an anti-drug program that is the envy of many other communities.

In closing, I urge the Boothbay Harbor Selectboard to work with the Police Department and negotiate wages in line with the rest of the state’s departments. We are extremely fortunate to have such hard working, and dedicated officers.

George H. McEvoy

Boothbay Harbor