Old Town residents can get to know police force through new Facebook series

OLD TOWN, Maine — The Old Town Police Department has come up with a new way to stay connected with the community during the COVID-19 pandemic — without breaking physical distancing rules. 

The new project, led by Sgt. Ryan Bailey, shares personal features about each of the department’s officers on Facebook — including officers’ backgrounds and personal interests — hoping people in the community can get to know their first responders better while separated. 

“We think it’s important that the community knows the individuals that serve them,” Bailey said. 

He sent out an email to officers, asking them to share a little about who they are, their experiences in law enforcement as well as hobbies and passions. 

The department kicked off the project last week with its first Facebook post about Public Safety Director Scott Wilcox. The brief introduction talked about Wilcox’s background in criminal justice and his ties to Old Town. 

A screenshot from a Facebook post by the Old Town Police Department introduces Deputy Chief Lee Miller. (Nina Mahaleris | The Penobscot Times)

It delved into his more than 20-year-long history as a Maine law enforcement officer, including his experience as a criminal justice instructor at Husson University, Eastern Maine Community College and the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. 

Outside of his police work, the post shared Wilcox’s involvement in the community including his participation in the Old Town Rotary Club and as a coach for football and Little League. It also mentioned his wife and two sons — an important piece of the project, Bailey said. 

The point of the project was to show people that outside of their jobs, law enforcement officers are ordinary people, too, Bailey explained. “I think a lot of times they see us at work [doing traffic stops or the like] … But they don’t always see the human element.” 

“We’re not a secret agency that handles things and goes home,” he said, adding that local officers have their own families and connections to the Old Town community. 

Bailey wants the posts to show people that their officers are public servants who want to keep them safe. 

“Sometimes you can lose sight of that because of the uniform and the badge,” he said. 

So far, the community has responded positively to the posts, Bailey said, adding the project is putting faces to names for residents who may not know the officers well.

The department hopes community engagement projects such as this one will help to build more trust between officers and residents, so people feel comfortable calling for help when they need it. 

The department will continue with posts featuring each of their employees, Bailey said. 

He said he hopes the idea catches on in other towns too so residents there can be more connected with the officers in their own communities. “We’re people, too,” he said.