Voting & Elections

Scarborough Police Seeks Body Worn Cameras in Upcoming Election
By Scarborough Police Department

The Police Department is requesting voter approval in the November election for nearly $997,000 towards a purchase agreement for body-worn and in-car cameras capable of providing quality audio and video recordings of police operational activities. The equipment will be used by sworn officers to record certain interactions while on duty. The use of the equipment will be directed by policy when the program is implemented.

The cameras would bring the Scarborough Police Department up to industry standards as possessing camera footage has become an expectation, especially in the prosecution of criminal cases in court. Scarborough is one of only a few departments in Southern Maine who do not possess either body-worn or in-car camera system options. The police departments in each of the bordering communities surrounding the Town of Scarborough, all have either the body-worn or in-car camera options. Gorham and Cape Elizabeth Police Departments are the only departments in our neighboring communities that only have the in-car camera option. The remaining departments have both body-worn and in-car camera capabilities. The camera implementation will be used for risk management and officer safety, courtroom proceedings, increased transparency, employee performance, evaluations and training. 

An important officer safety feature on the body-worn cameras will be the capability for our dispatchers to view a live feed of our officers at high-risk calls for service or traffic stops. This vantage point will allow our dispatchers to communicate to responding officers about the status of the officer on scene if the officer is not able to notify dispatch via portable radio. 

The video obtained through body-worn and in-car camera systems can also be used as key evidence to corroborate eye witness or an officer’s testimony during a court proceeding.  Both cameras would provide prosecutors, defense attorney’s, judges and juries with multiple visual vantage points that both camera systems could provide.  The video footage from both camera options will further enhance our criminal cases and provide judges and juries assigned to these cases with a full representation of the incident.   

There has been an increased expectation from citizens for transparency of police agencies throughout the nation over the last several years. Our department is receptive to being transparent with our citizens regarding our actions during the course of our duties. The purchase of the camera system would allow our department to collect video evidence of interactions during the course of police activities. In certain instances when the video would enhance public trust or justify the actions of an officer, the video may be released for public consumption, if legally authorized to be released. The Scarborough Police Department expects our officers to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. The implementation of body-worn and in-car cameras will provide further accountability of our officer’s conduct in the eyes of the public.

The product that is being recommended for purchase is the result of an extensive vetting and an on-duty demonstration process with three different vendors that were determined to most likely meet the needs of the department. This process included input and assistance from our IT Department. There are a number of police departments in Maine that are using other products and are considering making a change to the recommended product. 

There is also support from the officers who will be utilizing the equipment on a routine basis. The request to consider the purchase of the equipment came from this group. Sergeant Andrew Flynn took part in a presentation to the Scarborough Town Council back in July, where he pointed out how he was supportive of the cameras. He has taken part in two demonstrations where he utilized the body worn cameras on duty for several weeks. After having the opportunity to utilize the equipment, he realized that he felt uncomfortable without the cameras and the support of its GPS, live stream and recording capabilities.

There are currently 46 sworn members of the Scarborough Police Department, including reserve officers. In the planning for future growth of the organization, the budget request is for (50) body-worn camera devices and (10) in-car cruiser cameras for each marked cruiser. The total cost to purchase both camera systems for 5-years is $996,707. This cost includes unlimited cloud storage as recommended by IT.

The Scarborough Police Department will be hosting public information sessions for our citizens to learn more about the cameras and their capabilities.  The two remaining sessions will be on September 26th and October 24th at the Public Safety Building beginning at 6:30pm.  Each informational session will also be recorded for citizens who are unable to attend in-person or view online.  The recordings will be available to view on the Town of Scarborough’s website.  For more information, please contact Police Chief Mark Holmquist at 730-4399 or via email at mholmquist@scarboroughmaine.org.

Additional Materials (Provided at July 17, 2024 Workshop)

Cost Breakdown

Cameras are common today and an essential tool in modern law enforcement. We are the only town in Cumberland County that does not have body worn cameras or cameras in our cruisers. The cameras would bring the Scarborough Police department up to industry standards.

There are currently 46 sworn members of the Scarborough Police Department, including reserve officers. In the planning for future growth of the organization, the budget request is for (50) body-worn camera devices and (12) in-car cruiser cameras for each marked cruiser. The total cost to lease both camera systems for 5-years is $996,707. This cost includes unlimited cloud storage as recommended by IT. See below for the breakdown of these expenses that led to the total amount being requested in the November election.

Scarborough Fire Seeks New Fire Engine in November Election

By Scarborough Fire Department

The Scarborough Fire Department is requesting the purchase of a new fire engine for nearly $1 million. The question will be on the local (Scarborough) referendum ballot for voter approval in the November election. If approved, the Department will retire its oldest fire engine, a 20-year old model, to be replaced by the new one. The fire engine slated for retirement was originally purchased for $369,675 in 2004. In the last five years alone, the maintenance costs for the 20-year old fire engine have exceeded $90,000, nearly 25% of the original purchase price of the vehicle.

Fire engines are the backbone vehicle of the Fire Department, with one engine assigned to each of the six Neighborhood Fire Stations.  A fire engine is equipped with a pump to build water pressure, an on-board water tank, and fire hose to be able to extinguish fires.  Scarborough fire engines are also equipped with portable ladders to access upper floors, as well as various tools and pieces of equipment utilized in firefighting and rescue. Additionally, all Scarborough fire engines are equipped with emergency medical equipment, including Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to rapidly treat patients in need of medical attention.  Due to the large size of the Town, fire engines and their crews often arrive at medical calls from a nearby neighborhood Fire Station and begin patient care before one of our staffed ambulances arrive.

The Scarborough Fire Department has utilized and regularly revised a strategic apparatus replacement plan for more than eighty years. This plan provides a data-driven, fiscally and operationally responsible framework for the composition, operational deployment, maintenance, and scheduled replacement of the fleet. This plan is regularly reviewed and incorporates industry best practices, tracking trends of call volume, and input regarding maintenance from experts at Scarborough Public Works.

This collaborative and considered approach has also led to the evolution of the design of our fleet. New fire engines have a reduced overall length that significantly increases maneuverability, standardization of layout, equipment, enhanced safety features that protect both the Firefighters riding in the vehicle and the motoring public, and changes in vehicle and compartment height that make working on and around the vehicle more ergonomically correct. 

While the Scarborough Fire Department’s replacement schedule historically considers vehicle use, age, and the associated maintenance costs, a new challenge being factored in is that the fire service, like nearly every other part of life, continues to be impacted by supply chain and service challenges that have arisen over the past few years. The wait times for a new fire engine to be built and delivered now range between 24 and 48 months and are not projected to decrease in the near future. 

The increase in build times represents two significant financial impacts: Deferred purchases result in a significant increase in purchase price.  For example, the price to purchase a vehicle identical to Scarborough’s newest fire engine has increased over $375,000 in two years.  The second financial impact is the ongoing increase in maintenance costs and the associated down time for the aging fire engine slated for retirement. 

The request to fund the purchase of a new fire engine this year represents a longstanding effort to be responsible stewards of the resources provided to us by the residents we serve, continuing to field the most operationally effective fleet of vehicles possible, and to provide for the safety of the public and our Firefighters by providing them with the most up-to-date equipment and safety systems possible as they respond to and mitigate emergencies.

Additional Materials (Provided at July 17, 2024 Workshop)

$6M Land Bond Proposed in November Election

The Scarborough election on November 5th will include a $6 million land bond request on its local ballot. The measure was approved in the September 4 Town Council meeting along with a written explanation and recommendation by the council to be included on the ballot question.

The land bond question was first requested to be put on the November ballot by the Town’s Parks and Conservation Land Board in January 2024. The Board is responsible for evaluating applications for conservation projects to receive funding from the Land Acquisition Fund. This fund was originally established in 2000 for the purpose of conservation of natural areas, providing public access and recreation, and the protection of wildlife habitat and scenic or environmentally sensitive areas. All applications for the use of land bond money must be reviewed by the Board.  The Board uses a detailed acquisition evaluation process for properties based on factors such as size, preservation of natural resources, location to habitat, public access, and creating connectivity. Recommendations of the Board are provided to the Town Council and a three-step public process is followed before any use of the land money is approved.

The Town of Scarborough has long committed to land conservation efforts. Since 2000, the Town has contributed $7.5 million to the fund through voter approval in four elections. Notable conservation projects include Warren Woods (2012) and Pleasant Hill Preserve (2014), which are owned by the Scarborough Land Trust. Beyond conservation, the land bond supported the purchase of the Higgins Beach lot (2010) to secure beach access and agricultural easements to protect Frith Farm (2010), Broadturn Farm (2004), and Comstock (2013). Land bond funds made these projects possible along with state and federal grants and funding from organizations like the Scarborough Land Trust, Land for Maine’s Future, and the Maine Farmland Trust.

Two decades past the first contribution to the land bond, the Town Council has continued Scarborough’s allegiance to our natural areas. In 2023, the council unanimously approved the “30x30” resolution, a broader initiative which aims to conserve 30% of its land and water by 2030. In the January 2024 recommendation letter to the Town Council, Board Chair Jessica Sargent stated that the land bond replenishment would not only continue to maintain Scarborough’s parks and land conservation, but that “new bonding capacity is necessary to fulfill the resolution”.

Conserving land brings several benefits to the community. Economically, it serves as a tool to mitigate the effects of development on infrastructure and the Town’s costs for services. The community identified this as an area of importance in the 2023 community survey, where when asked the three most significant issues that residents think Scarborough will face over the next five years, the top response was “Pace of community growth/expansion” (77%). Land in conservation therefore becomes land that cannot be developed or put a strain on town resources. 

Stewardship of natural resources has also been a defining factor of Scarborough’s identity over time. The Town’s 2021 Comprehensive Plan outlines a vision for the future of Scarborough that preserves this identity. One of the vision statements listed is: “The Scarborough Marsh is central to the Town’s identity, creating a special awareness by our residents of the importance of all of the Town's natural resources. Future land use will follow a pattern of development that is sensitive to protecting our beaches, dunes, rivers, open spaces, farmlands, and other elements that comprise our unique ecosystem.” Conservation protects the water quality in our rivers, streams, and the marsh. It also contributes to many of the public benefits that Scarborough is known for; land that can be used for outdoor recreation and open space for residents and visitors to enjoy.

The land bond question posed on the November election ballot requests up to $6 million for the purposes designated in the Land Acquisition Fund. While previous voter approved funds have ranged from $1-2.5 million, this amount was chosen by the Parks and Conservation Land Board to account for current considerations. The Board has observed a higher cost of land in Scarborough, reducing the impact of a lesser amount. It also accounts for what’s expected to be a strong few years of upcoming conservation purchases to help meet the Council’s 30x30 goal and support the Open Space Plan, which will be finalized by 2025 and provide a deliberate roadmap to conservation priorities.

Additional Materials (Provided at July 17, 2024 Workshop)