The Scarborough Police Department strives to maintain the safety of each of our citizens on a daily basis and also those people who work in and visit our town. While some citizens may view police agencies in general as being strictly enforcement-driven organizations, I would like to highlight some recent activities which support our strong reputation of community involvement and outstanding service to our citizens.

On Christmas Day, Officer Shawn Anastasoff responded to an elderly couple’s residence to assist them with a heating issue within the home. Upon his arrival, Officer Anastasoff determined the residence had not been heated for a few days and the temperatures inside the residence were dangerously low. Officer Anastasoff did some troubleshooting and was able to restart the heating system for the couple within approximately one hour. The efforts of Officer Anastasoff is an excellent example of an officer doing what is right for the personal welfare of an elderly couple and to prevent property damage to their residence due to the heat loss.

Our Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) continue their efforts to deliver food to approximately 50 residents remaining at the Comfort Inn. The Town of Scarborough has partnered with the Scarborough School Department to accommodate those in need. Our volunteers have delivered food once a day for nearly one month to the residents who had been receiving meals through the Emergency Rental Assistance program, which lost federal funding in November. Our VIPS play an important role in the delivery of this service on a consistent basis for those residents who are less fortunate.

During the winter storm that caused coastal flooding to occur and widespread power outages, our Fire/Police Team did an extraordinary job in coordinating traffic control due to flooded roads and traffic lights that stopped working due to the power outages. Our Fire/Police personnel were responsive to every challenge they faced that day and withstood the harsh weather for several hours until the roads were opened. I would also like to thank our Public Safety and Public Works teams who responded to storm related calls for service for the entirety of the event.

Public Safety Dispatcher Allison Labonte recently organized Public Safety’s visit to the Maine Veteran’s Home to celebrate World War II Navy veteran Leona Chasse’s 99th birthday. Dispatcher Labonte heard about Ms. Chasse’s upcoming birthday on the local news and her service to our nation as a Navy code breaker. Dispatcher Labonte took the lead on getting a birthday card signed by members of the Public Safety teams and facilitated our visit to the Veteran’s Home to recognize Ms. Chasse during her birthday celebration. Thank you Dispatcher Labonte for representing Scarborough Public Safety so well and for your thoughtfulness in recognizing our Veterans!

These are a few examples of the outstanding work performed each day by representatives of the Scarborough Police Department. If you would like to read about more stories like these, please see our weekly report posted each week on our Facebook page and also on the Town of Scarborough website.