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Members of the Wilton-Jay Police Collaboration Committee are to be applauded for their thorough review and careful consideration of options to improve policing in the two towns, particularly because they set aside any "local rule must rule" mindset to look at practical and efficient ways for better policing across communities.

It was not a light lift. The challenges the committee was asked to consider included staffing shortages in both towns, difficulties recruiting and retaining officers, and fatigue and burnout caused by excessive overtime, among other concerns. 

The hard truth is that Jay and Wilton are small departments and officers who work for them often move on to larger departments for better pay and career advancement, which means Jay and Wilton routinely train and churn through officers.

The problem of recruiting and retaining police is not a small police department problem. It is a trend that stretches across all police departments as officers deal with increasing professional and technological demands, growing training and safety protocols and rising community expectations. Then, there is the utter lack of work-life balance because work hours can be irregular.

Oh, and danger on the job.

According to the  FBI Crime Data Explorer, Jay and Wilton are not — compared with other towns across the country — particularly high‑crime areas, nor are they considered especially dangerous for law enforcement officers.  

In 2024, according to FBI statistics, only five violent crimes were reported in Jay. Wilton reported the same number.

Compare those with the 185 violent crimes reported in Portland, 95 in Lewiston, 70 in Biddeford and 51 in Bangor. Jay and Wilton do see a fair number of property crimes and burglaries, but by any statistical comparison, they do not stand out as troubling crime areas.

In 2024, there were 47 property crimes in Jay and 32 in Wilton, compared with highs of 1,718 in Portland and 1,339 in Bangor.

Theft crimes in Jay are typically higher than in Wilton, but that is expected given Jay’s larger population. Even with low crime rates, community policing is a complicated, necessary and valuable public service that Jay and Wilton are working to preserve in the most efficient, effective and neighborly way.

Please read our story about last week’s meeting in Wilton. The Jay Select Board is scheduled to meet Monday to hear more about the work that has been done. For more, you can go to: Wilton-Jay Police Collaboration Committee – Town of Wilton, Maine.

And if you happen to see committee members around town, it would not hurt to offer a quick word of thanks for their fiscal commitment to community law enforcement and to local taxpayers.  

In Wilton, they are Selectmen David Leavitt and Keith Swett, Town Manager Maria Greeley, police Chief Ethan Kyes and residents Sarah Caton and Mat Bickford. In Jay, they are Selectmen (and committee chair) Lee Ann Dalessandro and Terry Bergeron, Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere, police Chief Joseph Sage and residents Lisa Bryant and Jennifer Lynch. (Maybe a special gesture of thanks to Mat Bickford, who served as volunteer secretary to a committee that shuffled through 600 pages of documents during this work.)

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Discussion on Wilton‑Jay police collaboration enters final phase: Wilton officials discussed four options on shared policing Tuesday; Jay officials are expected to take up the issue Monday, ahead of a public meeting later this month. Read this story by Bob Neal

A close call, but Spruce Mountain High School honored its seniors at home basketball games: A January snowstorm delayed delivery of new bleachers to Jay, but coaches reshuffled the schedule so senior nights for both teams could be held on their home court. Read this story by Bob Neal

Somerset County Commission rejects request for ATV access on Lake Moxie Road: The Moxie Lake ATV Club said it will not appeal the decision ‘at this time,’ but plans to continue working with commissioners on the proposal. Read this story by Judith Meyer

Farmington developing master plan for cemeteries: The brick wall at Fairview Cemetery that was demolished last summer is to be replaced with a line of granite hitching posts connected by iron chains. Read this story by Ben Hanstein

Bankruptcy bill tabled for possible second public hearing: The amended version focuses on stricter county compliance with required audits and possible assistance from the Office of the State Auditor. Read this story by Judith Meyer

Norway Select Board schedules workshop on moratorium for mobile home park lot rents: Norway Commons residents have asked the town to enact a moratorium on rent increases until officials enact an ordinance based on state guidelines. Read this story by Jon Bolduc

While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind paywalls, some newsrooms we link to in this newsletter may. 

A proposed MSAD 17 bus garage in Paris is drawing debate. | Advertiser Democrat

A Woodstock man has purchased the land around a roadside spring, with the goal of protecting it. | Bethel Citizen

Residents of Hidden Circle mobile home park in Jay intend to buy their park. | Livermore Falls Advertiser  (Monitor Local context: Jay Select Board receives plan for mobile home park rent control)

A shelter for more than 40 people that operates out of a Skowhegan church is at risk of closing due to code violations. | News Center Maine

Andover is projecting a $1.58 million budget to educate its students, including Andover Elementary and tuition payments for students to SAD 44 and RSU 10. | Bethel Citizen

The Farmington select board heard a request to reduce licensing fees for cannabis cultivation facilities. | Daily Bulldog

The Rumford Police Department received $1 million in federal money to replace outdated equipment. | Rumford Falls Times

Maine businesses that rely on H-2B workers could have access to more of them this summer | Maine Public

An addiction clinic proposed for Madison is drawing some local concern. | Morning Sentinel

ACA tax credit negotiations have stalled. Senators can’t even agree on a reason why. | NOTUS

The campaign against Hannaford doesn’t seem to be hurting business. | The Maine Monitor and Bangor Daily News

Oxford County commissioners set a lower tax rate for 2026. | Sun Journal

Town officials in Madison drafted two letters to the MDOT, asking the department to consider options other than an all-way stop for a Route 148 intersection. | Morning Sentinel

Maine community colleges receive almost $20 million in federal funding to support new facilities. | Maine Public 

Need for heating assistance remains high amid cold temperatures | Maine Public

20 new spots open for Maine’s lucrative $20M elver industry | The Rising Tide

‘River Monster’ lands 41-inch pike on the Androscoggin | Bangor Daily News

Skowhegan officials work to ‘untangle’ their books | Morning Sentinel

Somerset County commissioners denied a request to allow ATVs to drive on a paved road. | Morning Sentinel 

Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. You can reach Monitor Local editor Judy Meyer directly via email: judy@themainemonitor.org.

The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization that produces investigative journalism. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support.

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