ROCKLAND — Rockland Police Chief Tim Carroll’s most recent statistic for drug overdoses in Rockland is one that he doesn’t want the public to believe. The calendar year-to-date stat for over-consumption has dropped since 2024; but that may only seem to be the case based on calls to 911. Instead, Carroll thinks the distribution of Narcan has allowed friends to revive friends without needing to alert authorities.

Carroll is not shy about saying that Rockland has a drug problem. For the out-of-state middlemen drug dealers, the vulnerabilities of this region’s addicted have created a lucrative business.

But, Rockland PD has stepped up its own game with a proactive approach: dedicating attention to traffic stops (up 35% over last year), creating a new drug-specific position within the PD, and promoting a dedicated intent to go after this problem.

Patrol officers are seeing increases in both crimes against people and calls for services (4% YTD and previously 10 percent the past two years), and no increase in staff until now.

Crack and Crack Cocaine have made a comeback, along with meth, according to Carroll, whereas a few years ago, responders were dealing with heroin. Drugs are being found everywhere, in every walk of life.

“No one is immune,” he said.

As a way to show the public that officers are coming across drugs often, RPD is posting to its Facebook page the drug and OUI traffic stops and arrests. August 2, 2025 alone netted five arrests, and another post for the same date summarized charges for a passenger who, while being taken to jail, tried to take drugs in with her. Last year, drug charges had increased 73 percent from the year before. RPD has seen another ten percent increase so far this year.

Carroll’s happy to summarize an FB reader’s comment from one such posting: “If you’re in Rockland, don’t travel dirty (which means don’t have anything in your car), because Rockland PD is on a roll.”

Carroll has a message for drug dealers.

“We put the message out there,” he said. “We’re coming after you. We’re going to try to do the best we can – we always want people to get the help that they need. But we’re also going to go after the crime that’s involved with drug trafficking.”

RPD also promotes a desire for people to report to them any suspicious activity.

“Report it now, and let me come find that it’s nothing, versus reporting it eight hours from now and finding out that it was something,” said Carroll. “If you see something suspicious, then call into dispatch. Let us come check it out.”

Rockland Police Dept. has received the go-ahead from the City to create an interdiction Drug Enforcement Agent position similar to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agent (MDEA) position that has used an office at Rockland PD in the past and was created to serve Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties. That position hasn’t been filled for a number of years because no one wanted the position, according to Carroll, mostly because of the constant on-the-road time.

RPD will fill the position internally, taking advantage of institutional knowledge of its seasoned staff. A new hire patrol position will backfill the newly created vacancy.

In a recent nine month span, RPD handled 11 search warrants, which often recover drugs and stolen items. Prior to the first one, RPD only handled eight search warrants in five years. Between January 2025 and last week, RPD has dealt with seven warrants.

Overall drug calls for service increased 73 percent from 2023 to 2024, and then another 10 percent to the time of this article.

OUIs are up 130 percent YTD over last year.

“Year to year we are over,” said Carroll, “but right now, we have as many OUIs as we did all of last year.”

Police have addressed about 150 percent more traffic violations this year.

Crashes have decreased a little bit, according to Carroll.

Juvenile crime is down 17 percent.

Overdoses (Narcan injections) are down 40 percent. "Please don't get fooled by that number," said Carroll. "Because the amount of Narcan that is out there, everybody has it. So, they're not calling us. So, we're not getting the reports of overdosing."

Rockland Police Youth Mentorship Program began June 13, 2023

Rockland Regional Youth Diversion Team (collaboration of Rockland Police and RSU 13) began October 1, 2024

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com