CAMDEN-ROCKPORT — Rockport is losing its longtime police chief with Mark Kelley’s resignation, effective July 1. This week, the two towns are to vote on the terms of sharing services of Camden Police Chief Randy Gagne, as well as expanding a two-town mutual aid agreement that brings the two departments closer, both fiscally and operationally. If approved, Rockport will pay 37 percent of Gagne’s salary per month.

The agreement is set to expire in six months, giving Rockport time to determine the future of its four-man police department.

The town managers and select boards are not talking merger, but the concept has been tossed around before, going back to 2004 when the two towns broached the topic in a well-attended meeting in the Rockport Opera House meeting room. With Kelley’s pending resignation last month, the Rockport town manager approached Camden’s town manager and the select board there about sharing the services of Camden’s police chief.

(Read the proposed agreement here)

“I am looking forward to it,” said Camden Police Chief Randy Gagne, June 27. “I think it is a great opportunity to see whether we can do this. I want to make sure the citizens are happy with the service.”

He said he had been asked if he could assist, and since then, has been looking at both a two-agreement to cover sharing a police chief, as well as expanding the already existing two-town mutual aid agreement.

The Rockport Select Board is to vote on the agreement this evening at a special board meeting. Tuesday evening, June 28, the Camden Select Board will vote on the matter.

The agreement, according to Gagne, is lifted and amended from the interlocal police agreement between Bar Harbor and Mt. Desert. He and police department leadership (Rockport Sgt. Travis Ford, Camden Lt. Mike Geary, and Camden Sgts. John Tooley and Dan Brown) worked on the details of the agreement, he said.

If the agreement is signed, Rockport will begin paying Camden for police chief services. That involves Rockport writing an approximate $2,388 monthly check to Camden.

Currently, Gagne is payed $6,318 per month. Kelley’s pay, as approved by the town, is $4,933 per month.

Camden is to invoice Rockport monthly on a pro rata basis. Camden is to continue to pay Gagne and make tax deductions and benefits.

The Camden Police Department currently consists of Gagne, Lt. Geary, Sgts. Tooley and Brown; Detective Kurt Andrick; Officers Brook Hartshorn, Allen Weaver, Wes Butler, Tim Davis, Samuel Butler; Administrator Jeff Sukeforth; and parking enforcement officer Mark Bennett. There is one vacant position.

The Rockport Police Department currently has four officers: Ford, Dana Smith, Robert Shaw and Jim Moore, plus administrative assistant Craig Cooley.

Gagne said Monday that he will make himself available to Rockport residents, and is available by phone, 207-236-7953, and by email, rgagne@camdenmaine.gov.

“I am accessible to the public,” said Gagne. “I am available. I can be found.”

Logistics of the agreement are:

1) Camden is to provide a cruiser or similar police vehicle to the chief.

2) Gagne is to work with the town managers and the departments to develop goals, review and update policies, develop a joint training schedule.

3) There are to be scheduled reviews of the effectiveness of the agreement in September and November.

Gagne said the two police departments are already consulting with, and assisting each other. He cited a high-speed chase on routes 90 and 17 over the weekend. Gagne said the Rockport officer checked with the Camden police on-duty supervisor (Rockport’s supervisor was not on duty), who advised the officer to suspend the chase.

The driver of the car eventually crashed and was apprehended, Gagne said.

The agreement likewise worked the other way, said Gagne, with a Rockport supervisor assisting Camden with a domestic violence situation.

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