ROCKPORT – Administrative coverage at the Rockport Police Department has increased from 20 hours to 40 hours per week, due to operational changes with the administrative assistant position.

According to Police Chief Randy Gagne, during the budget process this past spring, a decision was made to consolidate the police administrative position with the Code Enforcement, Planning and Community Development, and Assessing departments which had been sharing one administrative assistant position.

The change will provide the public with full-time administrative coverage of the police department, both at the station and from the Rockport Town Office.

Craig Cooley, a former Rockport police officer who transitioned to the part-time, 20 hour a week administrative position in 2016, resigned in March. Cooley joined the police department in 1997.

Mandy Marriner-Everett, who was hired in October 2019 as the part-time Administrative Assistant in Code Enforcement, Planning and Community Development, and Assessing, is the new police department administrative assistant, and now working 40 hours per week as a full-time employee.

Everett previously worked as an Office Manager with a quasi municipal organization within the Town of Northport before she was hired at the Rockport Town Office.

She said that combining the administrative duties of the four departments will be a “transition in progress” as procedures and systems are streamlined.

Everett will be available at the police station on Monday and Wednesday from 2-5 p.m. and on Friday from 10:30 a.m.-5p.m. 

During the remaining hours of the week, anyone needing administrative assistance from the police department can leave a message in the administrative mailbox by calling the station at 236-2026. Everett will be checking voicemail messages on a regular basis and will respond to them while working at the town office.

The lobby at the police station is now open to the public, but for right now visitors will need to ring the doorbell since only one person will be admitted at a time. The public must also follow the CDC guidelines and practice social distancing and wear a facemask.

Everett can be reached at mmeverett@rockportmaine.gov and by phone at 236-0989 at the town office.

Additionally, Gagne said that both the Camden and Rockport police departments are currently fully staffed with law enforcement officers, except for the Parking Enforcement Officer position vacated when Scott Entwistle was promoted to patrol officer in Camden. Gagne said that position is on hold right now due to the pandemic.

Sarah Shepherd can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com