portland police department
TRANSCRIPT
THE MISSION OF THE PORTLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT IS TO
MAINTAIN A SAFE CITY BY WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE COMMUNITY TO PREVENT AND REDUCE CRIME,
PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY,
HELP RESOLVE NEIGHBORHOOD PROBLEMS,
AND PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF ALL.
Leadership Integrity Service
A Message from the Chief
I am honored to offer this as the department’s 2020 AnnualReport. Last year, my first full one as police chief for the city,brought us all a number of unique and unprecedented challenges.We all continued to navigate a global pandemic, which greatlychanged our social norms; we witnessed local and national civilunrest; and we worked through significant budgetary constraints,resulting in furloughs, cost of living freezes, and the elimination ofpolice officer and communication positions.
With the COVID restrictions, we not surprisingly experiencedreduced traffic and citizen contacts, which resulted in acorresponding 14.8% reduction in overall calls for service. Unlike many other cities, however,we also managed nearly across the board reductions in our most serious (Part 1) crime types. Infact, the city did not have a single homicide in 2020, the first time since 2000. This speaksvolumes to not only the unprecedented events of the past year, but to the ongoing efforts of ourdedicated employees who continued to work tirelessly for the community throughout the pastyear; there were no Zoom or stay at home options.
We continue to work with our community, and have been revising policies in line with nationallyrecognized best practices. This has included revision of our Use of Force SOP, which is nowtitled Response to Resistance, as well as Pursuits and Internal Affairs. We also created newpolicies addressing bias-based policing and crowd management and control. During theserevisions, we ensured that those policies met or exceeded the recommendations outlined in the“8Can’tWait” campaign. Those include such things as prohibition on chokeholds, a duty forofficers to intervene in any excessive use of force, the training and use of de-escalationtechniques, and comprehensive reporting of any use of force greater than unresistedhandcuffing, to name a few.
I truly appreciate the diversity of this community and I look forward to a post-COVID world wherewe can, once again, bring people together to sit across the table, have conversations and buildrelationships, as well as mutual trust and respect. Speaking of diversity, one of our goals is tofurther diversify our ranks in order to be more demographically reflective of the community thatwe serve. We are hiring and seeking the best possible candidates for the positions of policeofficer and telecommunicator. If you would like the opportunity to protect and serve a greatcommunity in a welcoming and fraternal organization, please give us a call.
I remain proud of this department and the work that the officers, telecommunicators and civilianstaff consistently do for our community every day. My thanks to each of you for your dedication,compassion and support. On behalf of the department, we look forward to continuing to work inpartnership with this community to help keep Portland a safe and welcoming city.
Respectfully, Chief Frank Clark
Portland at a Glance
Portland Police Department
Chief: Frank Clark
Headquarters: 109 Middle Street
Sworn Officers: 158
Civilian Employees: 65
Gross Budget: $17,195,829
Net Budget: $13,980,155
2020 Statistics City of Portland
Calls for Service: 68,435 Incorporated: 1876
Arrests: 2221 Population: 66,215
Motor Vehicle Stops: 4849 Land Area: 21.23 sq. miles
Citations: 1286 Municipal Budget: $256,986,420
Inside the Department
With an authorized strength of 158 Officers, the Portland Police Department is the largest full-service
municipal law enforcement agency in the State of Maine. The Department’s Uniformed Services Group
provides 24/7 patrol and law enforcement response, and includes our Community Policing Unit (CPU).
Their efforts are bolstered by the specialized work of our Criminal Investigations Division (CID), which
prioritizes and investigates criminal incidents and provides critical forensics services, to include hosting
the regional crime laboratory. CID also includes our Crime Reduction Unit (CRU), as well as assignments
to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) and an FBI Safe Streets Task Force.
The Department also fields a number of specialty teams and capabilities, to include a Hazardous Devices
Unit, Underwater Search & Recovery Team, Crisis Negotiators, Special Reaction Team and Canine Units.
It is one of only a small number of Maine law enforcement agencies qualified to investigate homicides.
Other unique capabilities include a nationally recognized Mental Health Co-Responder Program, as well
as crash reconstructionists, arson investigators and victim services capabilities.
The Department also provides patrol services on Peaks Island and at the Portland International Jetport.
The department is staffed by a number of support personnel, including human resources professionals,
financial and legal services, property and evidence technicians and administrative support.
A training unit ensures that all personnel, sworn and civilian, receive state mandated training as well as
advanced training so as to provide the highest level of constitutional policing for our community.
We are also home to the Portland Regional Communications Center (PRCC), which provides police, fire
and emergency medical call taking and dispatch services to the cities of Portland and South Portland and
the Town of Cape Elizabeth.
Portland Regional Communications Center
The Portland Regional Communications Center (PRCC) is housed within the Portland Police
headquarters and provides emergency communications, call taking and dispatch services for the
police, fire and emergency medical services departments in Portland, South Portland and Cape
Elizabeth.
The Center has an authorized strength of 37 emergency telecommunicators, who literally
"answer the call," whether that is 911 or other more routine public inquiries.
They also help manage the emergency response resources in all three communities, ensuring
calls are prioritized and dispatched to the appropriate responders, helping to keep both the
communities and first responders safe.
This may involve providing lifesaving medical instructions to callers or maintaining situational
awareness during simultaneous or multi-jurisdictional emergencies.
PRCC employees are provided with critical training and certifications, and are a critical
component of our emergency response capacity in the City of Portland.
Recruitment and Hiring
As have all Maine law enforcement agencies, the Portland Police Department had to suspend portions of
its hiring during the COVID pandemic and had a ten month delay to the start of the police academy
training. Because our agency does not utilize reservists or part- time officers, it meant that the increase
of retirements and resignations coupled with the limitations placed on hiring, impacted our staffing
levels in a significant way. The hiring process for the planned May 2020 police academy that ultimately
started in March of 2021, was initiated in September of 2019. The department had 387 individuals apply
to be a police officer during this protracted period of time. This number included lateral candidates from
other agencies. Some applicants dropped out by attrition, but we ultimately facilitated the written entry
test, which is designed to measure both cognitive ability and integrity, for 155 candidates. We also
provided the state mandated physical fitness test to 186 candidates, with 54% successfully passing. All
candidates who passed both the written entrance exam and the physical fitness test were invited to take
part in a civil service interview panel.
After the interview, candidates who are successful at each phase of the process continue on to the next.
The remaining process included a thorough background investigation, a polygraph examination, a job
suitability assessment, and a medical exam. In the end, five candidates, 1% of the original pool, were
ultimately hired and sent to the March 2021 Maine Criminal Justice Academy.
This success rate is lower than the department’s average. The department did see some increase in
female and minority applicants, but we continue to strive toward further diversification of our workforce
to better reflect our increasingly diverse community. Currently, 5% of the department’s sworn strength
consists of non-white personnel.
In terms of recruitment, the department’s Social Media and Recruitment Team (S.M.A.R.T.), was limited
by COVID restrictions. The group of officers and telecommunicators who are committed to recruiting the
best possible future employees into the Portland Police Department pivoted to virtual opportunities and
social media for much of what we would ordinarily do in person. Team members attended virtual career
fairs, interviews and one on one meetings with recruiting officers. In the end, the hiring of lateral officers
outnumbered the entry officers hired. The team looks forward to doing more in person events in 2021.
If you would like more information on becoming a Portland Police Officer or Emergency
Telecommunicator, please call 207.884.8568 or visit our recruitment site https://portland-police.com/
New Hires
Lateral Officer Richard Davis. Rich attended Westfield State
University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice
and began his law enforcement career in 2013 as a police officer with
the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC. He was
promoted in May 2018 to the rank of Sergeant. His assignment had
been the Second District which included the White House, all the
major national monuments, a number of colleges and universities, as
well as Georgetown and much of Washington's downtown area. Rich
had worked as a field training officer and when he left to come to
Portland Police Department, he was the sergeant overseeing his
district's field training program. We are pleased to have his expertise
here in Portland.
Hired in 2020, but delayed for the start of the police academy were:
Officer Donald Gray
Officer William Burke
Officer Jacob Webster
Officer Kevin Wilson
Officer John McLean
OFFICER OF THE YEAR CIVILIAN OF THE YEAR
Nicholas Gowen Kelly Crotty
COMMENDATIONS FOR MERIT
For Providing Life-Saving Measures to a Suicidal Man Barricaded in a Burning Structure
Lieutenant Jason King Sergeant Benjamin NoyesSergeant Timothy Farris Sergeant Robert MillerOfc. Vince Rozzi Ofc. Morgan MacLeanOfc. Kyle McIlwaine Ofc. Deni SnajderOfc. Will Buckley Ofc. Jesse DanaOfc. Blake Cunningham Ofc. Kyle KnutsonOfc. Chris Kelley Ofc. Alex Joyce
Telecommunicators:Jennifer Lee, Tori Grey, Natalia Ramirez and Patrick Hastings
For Providing Emergency Medical Treatment to Injured Motorcyclist
Officer Brian RollinsOfficer Willaim Buckley
For Their Response to a Behavioral Health Incident
Lieutenant Glen McGary Sergeant Chris MitchellOfc. Jeremy Turner Ofc. Mary LukasiewiczOfc. Dave Moore Ofc. Curran Huff
COMMENDATORY LETTER
For His Investigation into a Substantial Theft from the City of Portland
Detective Daniel Townsend
For His Assistance with a Case Involving Maine DHHS
Officer Matthew Pavlis
For His Life Saving Measures on a Male Found Unresponsive
Officer Jacob Gibbs
For Their Response and Handling of a Suicide on the Casco Bay Bridge
Lieutenant Jason King Ofc. Alex JoyceOfc. Garrick Rogers Jo Freedman
For Their Kindness Shown to a Terminally Ill Man
Ofc. Samuel Coyne Ofc. Curran HuffTelecommunicator Jennifer Lee
Telecommunicator Allyson Hildreth
For His Assistance and Training for the PPD K-9 Program
Officer Aaron Curlee
For His Investigation and Recovery of a Missing Man
Detective Daniel Townsend
COMMENDATION OF HEROISM
For his Bravery in his Response to a Structure Fire
Officer Les Smith
DISTINGUISHED UNIT COMMENDATIONS
For their Response to a Kidnapping and Robbery
Lieutenant William Preis Sergeant John NuesleinSergeant Michael Rand Det. Jess BrownDet. Kelly Gorham Det. Paul MurphyDet. Andrew Hagerty Ofc. Mark KellerOfc. Roland LaChance Ofc. James OliverOfc. Matt Eide Ofc. Joe BlissOfc. Stacey Brooker Ofc. Aaron CurleeOfc. Aaron Curlee Ofc. Dave ArgitisOfc. Matt Rider Ofc. Jesse DanaET Jon Reeder
Telecommunicators:Philip Viola Brad WilliamsAllyson Hildreth Shannon Dougherty
Patick Hastings
For their Work on a Drug Seizure Case at the Embassy Suites Hotel
Lieutenant Jacob Titcomb Lieutenant Kevin CashmanSergeant Kevin Murphy Ofc. Jason NadeauOfc. Ben Savage Ofc. Ian GeibOfc. Deni Snajder
Telecommunicators:Nicole Tremblay Isabella Saucier
For Their Response to an Armed Robbery & Arrest at a 7-Eleven Store
Sergeant Rob Miller Sergeant Jeff CallowayDetective Kelly Gorham Ofc. Sean HurleyOfc. Josh McDonald Ofc. Blake CunninghamOfc. Patrick Duddy Ofc. Sam CoyneOfc. Sara Clukey Ofc. Kevin NielsenOfc. Adam Pelletier Ofc. Matt Burnell
Ofc. Terry FitzgeraldET Jon Reeder ET Jamie Beals
For Their Handling of a Burglary to a Motor Vehicle & Stolen FirearmLieutenant Nicholas Goodman Sergeant Jeff CallowayDetective Andjelko Napijalo Detective Dan TownsendOfc. James Keddy Ofc. Aaron CurleeOfc. Dan Knight Ofc. Sara Clukey
Ofc. Thien Duong
For Their Response to a Drive By Shooting of PPD Headquarters
Lieutenant Jake Titcomb Lieutenant Dan HondoLieutenant Bob Martin Sergeant Mike RandSergeant Ben Noyes Sergeant Joe JaynesSergeant Kevin Murphy Ofc. Patrick DuddyOfc. Garrick Rogers Ofc. Craig KnightOfc. Jason Nadeau Ofc. Ben SavageOfc. Zack Theriault Ofc. Ian GeibOfc. Chris Proto Ofc. Ryan CannellOfc. Zach Grass Ofc. Will BuckleyOfc. Ian Leitch Ofc. Kyle McIlwaineOfc. Kyle Forbes Ofc. Jeremy TurnerOfc. James Oliver Ofc. David MooreOfc. Det. Dan TownsendMary LukasiewiczDet. Jessica Brown Det. Nick GowenDet. Andy Hagerty ET Chris StearnsET Victor Cote
Telecommunicators:Allyson HildrethBlerina Zeqiri
For Their Response to a Behavioral Health & Suicide Call
Lieutenant Jason King Sergeant Kevin MurphyOfc. Josh McDonald Ofc. Zach Grass
Ofc. Jason Nadeau
For Their Handling of a Medical Emergency Situation
Ofc. David Schertz Ofc. Joe BlissTelecommunicators:
Natalia Ramirez Isabella Saucier
For Their Investigation of a Human Trafficking Case
Sergeant Jeff Calloway Ofc. Sara ClukeyOfc. Jakob Demchak Ofc. Jason Leadbetter
For a Drug Investigation & Firearm Seizure
Lieutenant Kevin Cashman Sgt. Jeff CallowayS/A Matthew Morrison Ofc. Jason LeadbetterOfc. Jakob Demchak Ofc. Sara ClukeyOfc. Joshua McDonald Ofc. Erik RichardOfc. Dave Moore Ofc. Kyle VaughtOfc. Craig Knight Ofc. Chris Kelly
For their Handling of a Drug Seizure and Warrant Arrest
Sgt. Jeff Calloway Ofc. Sara ClukeyOfc. Matthew Rider Ofc. Joshua McDonaldOfc. David Argitis Ofc. Eric JohnsonOfc. Jason Leadbetter
For their Response to a Suicide Threat on I-295
Ofc. Zach Grass Ofc. Ian Geib
For their Response to a Shooting on Boyd Street
Lieutenant Dan Hondo Lieutenant Jake TitcombSergeant Chris Mitchell Sergeant Joe JaynesSergeant Kevin Murphy Ofc. Ian Leitch
Ofc. Curran Huff Ofc. Justin MacalusoOfc. Cody Forbes Ofc. Kyle ForbesOfc. Jacob Gibbs Ofc. Terry FitzgeraldOfc. Kyle McIlwaine Ofc. Zach TheriaultOfc. Alex Joyce Ofc. Jason NadeauOfc. Ian Geib Ofc. Garrick RogersOfc. Zach Grass
Telecommunicators:
Isabella Saucier Hiram Del RioNicole Tremblay Gennette Cardullo-Branco
For their Response to an Aggravated Reckless Conduct with a Vehicle Call
Lieutenant Dan Hondo Lieutenant Jake TitcombSergeant Chris Mitchell Sergeant Ben NoyesOfc. Kyle Forbes Ofc. Jake GibbsOfc. Jeremy Turner Ofc. David MooreOfc. Mary Lukasiewicz Ofc. Zack TheriaultOfc. Brent Ross Ofc. Alex JoyceOfc. Jason Nadeau Det. Jeff Druan
Telecommunicators:Tori Grey Gen Cardullo-Branco
For their Work on a Firearm Seizure and Drug Arrest
Sergeant Jeff Calloway Detective Dan Townsend
Ofc. Sara Clukey Ofc. Eric Johnson
Ofc. Jakob Demchak Ofc. David Schertz
Ofc. Josh McDonald Ofc. Jason Leadbetter
For their Investigation and Arrest for Drug Activity on Cumberland Avenue
Sgt. Jeff Calloway Ofc. Sara ClukeyOfc. Eric Johnson Ofc. Matt PavlisOfc. Craig Knight
LAW ENFORCEMENT AWARDS
For His Investigation into a Substantial Theft from the City of Portland
Special Agent Matt Fasulo, US Secret Service
For His Assistance with a Vehicular Manslaughter Involving an OUI
Sergeant Christopher Storm, New Hampshire State Police
For Their Response to a Drive By Shooting of PPD Headquarters
Special Agent Adam Morin, FBISpecial Agent Chris Peavey, FBI
For His Assistance with a Medical Emergency Situation
Officer Nathan Mandeville, Westbrook Police Department
For Her Assistance with a Drug Seizure and Warrant Arrest
AAG Johanna Gauvreau, Attorney General’s Office
For his Assistance to Law Enforcement at the Portland Jetport
Luke Skunza, TSA
For her Assistance with an Arrest for Drug Activity on Cumberland Avenue
AAG Johanna Gauvreau, Attorney General’s Office
For His Involvement with an Investigation of a Missing Man
Sergeant Dave Chabot, Maine Warden’s Service
CITIZEN AWARDS
For Her Involvement into a Substantial Theft from the City of Portland
Kristen Orr, TD Bank Investigator
For Their Willingness to Speak Up About a Potential Assault
Otis Coshion Elizabeth Verril Carter Keller
For Her Assistance to Law Enforcement and Community Programs
Leslie Skilling, Founder of the Trauma Intervention Program
For Their Response to a Suicidal Man who Barricaded in a Burning Structure
Adam Behnke (Central Fire E5 FF/B) Bartley Foley (Central Fire E5 FF/B)Daniel Small (Central Fire E5 LT/B) Peter Cook (Munjoy Hill L1 FF/A )John Hardy III (Munjoy Hill L1 CAPT/B) Benjamin Waterhouse (Munjoy Hill L1 FF/B)Steven Bishop (Munjoy Hill MC1) Rocky Sanfilippo (Munjoy Hill MC1)
For His Assistance with the Investigation into a Drive By Shooting of PPD Headquarters
Ray Saba, Cumberland County Garage
For Providing Extraordinary Assistance to a Citizen with a Broken Down Motor Vehicle
Christopher Johnsen, Nappi’s Towing
For His Assistance to Law Enforcement
Ray Briere
Crime Reporting
The impact of the
pandemic is also
evidenced by the
ratio of criminal
summonses to
arrests in 2020.
A physical arrest
includes being taken
into custody,
transported to jail,
and, usually, released
on bail with a
mandate to appear in
court later. It also
involves the
imposition of
conditions intended to protect society and the integrity of the legal process. Violations of those
conditions could result in new criminal charges or being held without bail. A Criminal Summons, on the
other hand, mandates a court appearance with no other conditions and does not include being taken
into custody or taken to jail.
Typically criminal summons represent a fraction of the arrests made in Portland each year. The need to
protect community members, police officers, jail staff and inmates from the rampant spread of COVID
resulted in a much lower proportion of physical arrests this year.
TOP TEN CALLS FORSERVICE BY TYPE911 Hang Ups 9667
Motor Vehicle Stop 4840Pedestrian Check 3543
Special Attention Check 3441Suspicious Activity 2946
Alarm/Burglary 2875Check Well Being 2570Persons Bothering 2221
Assist Fire Department 2071
General Disturbance 2024
TOP TEN CRIMINALCHARGES
Violation of Condition of Release 733Unlawful Possession of Drugs 361
Criminal Trespass 254Assault 253
Warrant for Failure to Appear 251Operating After Suspension 164
Operating Under the Influence 155Public Drinking 115
Criminal Mischief 88Warrant (Other) 88
Annual Data & Crime Review
Calls for Service declined by nearly
15% in 2020. This decline is primarily
attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic
which severely limited the flow of
people, vehicles, and commerce in
Portland during much of the year.
Notable reductions in specific call
types included motor vehicle crashes,
which declined by nearly 40%, and
parking complaints, which declined
by 42%. Geographically, Beat 3 which includes the Old Port, saw a significant decrease in calls as office
workers shifted to remote work and bars and restaurants closed or curtailed hours and capacity.
Arrests: which include both taking
someone into custody or issuing a
criminal summons requiring the
person to appear in court, declined
nearly 17%. This reduction is directly
tied to the decrease in reported
crimes.
Part 1 Crimes: The Uniform Crime
Reporting System collected data
about certain offenses in order to
measure the level and scope of crime
across the country. These offenses,
known as Part 1 or Index Crimes
include Murder, Rape, Robbery,
Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny,
Motor Vehicle Theft and Arson.
While many large cities experienced unprecedented increases in violent crime in 2020, the City of
Portland saw reductions in all Part 1 offense types except arson which increased by one offense. A
breakdown of each Part 1 offense type is included below.
Of note, the UCR system will be fully replaced by the National Incident Based Reporting System in 2021.
Murder: There were zero murders in the
City of Portland in the year 2020. The
City typically averages two murders each
year and the last full year without a
reported murder was 2000.
Rape: The number of reported rapesdeclined slightly in 2020 from 36 to 32.The Sexual Assault Response Servicesof Southern Maine (SARSSM) offerscomprehensive assistant to to anyoneaffected by sexual assault, harassment,or abuse through prevention programs,support, education and advocacy.Community members are encouragedto take advantage of these services.
Aggravated Assaults declined by 22% in
2020. This category includes assaults and
threats of assault with a dangerous
weapon along with any assault which
results in severe or aggravated injury.
Robberies continue to trend
downward since reaching a peak in
2015. In fact, the 34 robberies
reported in 2020 represent a ten year
low in robbery offenses.
Arson was the only Part I Crime which
increased in 2020, although the 7
reported incidents bring the annual
total below the 10 year average of 10.
Two of the reported arsons involved
fires deliberately set in occupied
structures creating substantial risk to
the occupants.
Motor Vehicle Thefts continue a
downward trend after peaking in
2017. Of note, many motor vehicle
thefts in Portland involve keys left in
the vehicle, often in plain sight.
Additionally, we have seen a number
of thefts of rental vehicles in the past
few years. The rental agencies have
taken measures to prevent those
thefts which has contributed to the
decline.
Larcenies, which include shoplifting
and thefts from buildings, declined
significantly in 2020 most likely a result
of pandemic related closures.
Burglaries: The number of reported
burglaries dropped nearly 50% in
2020
Overdose: These include both fatal
and non-fatal incidents. The presence
of fentanyl in counterfeit pills, and
other opioids continues to pose a
dangerous threat. The decline in 2020
may reflect greater availability of
Medication Assisted Treatment, as
well as COVID-related impacts and
shifts in some of the population
experiencing a substance use
disorder. In 2020, the department
began using ODMAP to track and
share information with public health
officials in real time.
Demographics
The following charts provide some raw data relative to the department’s annual contacts across thedemographics of age, gender and race.
Violent Crime* Victims - by Age
Violent Crime* Victims - by Gender
Violent Crime Victims* - by Race
* Murder, Elevated Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Assault, Assault, Robbery, SexualOffenses
Arrests* - by Age
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
<18 77 86 74 70 32
<=29 1209 1007 886 806 582
30-39 885 842 822 812 753
40-49 619 550 493 527 464
50-59 424 333 395 411 314
60+ 94 96 82 97 76
Arrests* - by Gender
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Female 668 620 650 564 551
Male 2563 2208 2026 2087 1669
Unknown / Other 4 3 1 0 1
Total 3235 2831 2675 2651 2221
Arrests* - by Race
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
American Indian/AlaskanNative 3 8 5 2 6
Asian/Pacific Islander 41 38 23 31 23
Black 696 519 469 450 357
White 2474 2253 2168 2162 1831
Unknown 21 13 10 6 4
Total 3235 2831 2675 2651 2221
* Includes felony, misdemeanor and warrant arrests and criminal summons
Citations* - by Age
Citations - by Gender
Citations*- by Race
*Includes traffic violations, city ordinance violations, and civil (liquor andmarijuana) violationA review of such raw data does not provide for the presumption or inference of discriminatory practices, so the
department’s new bias-based policing SOP calls for an annual analysis of this data in order to proactively identify
bias-based policing, profiling or discriminatory practices. Given the anticipated 2021 partnership to that end with
USM’s Cutler Institute and Northeastern University, which will bring added perspective and academic analysis to
this area, we are offering this simple display of the raw data without any effort to further analyze or draw any sort
of conclusions.