The Wiscasset Police Department will have no responsibility in providing downtown crossing guards over the Labor Day weekend. Business owners will need to work out details for providing the coverage with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Police Chief Jeffrey Lange told the select board Tuesday night, he wasn’t assigning any officers and hadn’t been able to find a private company that provided the service.

None of Wiscasset’s police officers had expressed an interest in working the detail, but Lange added, he had spoken with the sheriff’s office. “They’re recommending having four, not two officers on duty downtown but the Wiscasset PD won’t be involved in any way,” he said.

The officers will be hired and paid with monies raised by local merchants. Lange said the sheriff’s office was considering providing Main Street coverage Friday, Sept. 1 and on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4, both days from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jim Kochan commented he and other Wiscasset business owners wanted to have the traffic officers on duty the entire holiday weekend and didn’t anticipate needing four officers.

If selectmen agreed, continued Lange, it would be up to the merchants to work out further details with the sheriff’s office. The board voiced no objections but made it clear the merchants were responsible for paying all associated costs of the coverage. The effort is to see if crossing guards could serve as an alternative to Maine Department of Transportation installing traffic signals at the Middle and Water street intersections.

Lange announced Paul Rubashkin was hired as the police department’s new administrative assistant. Rubashkin recently completed the Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s Law Enforcement Pre-Service Training Program. He’s served as a Wiscasset police reserve officer since February 2014. He replaces Diane Hammond.

Lange said all of Lincoln County’s law enforcement agencies must soon transition to digital mobile radio. He said a homeland security grant will pay for all but $200 for each portable, mobile and base radio the Wiscasset police need. Payment must be received no later than June 30, 2018. The radio upgrade will cost $2,200. Over the next three to four years, fire and ambulance departments will convert over to digital radio, as well.