MEXICO — Following an hourlong executive session Tuesday evening with longtime police Chief Roy Hodsdon, the Mexico Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to place the town’s police force on idle status, effective 6 a.m. Aug. 20, said Town Manager Raquel Welch-Day.

Mexico Police Chief Roy Hodsdon stands with Town Manager Raquel Welch-Day on Wednesday, the morning after a decision by the Select Board to place the police force on idle status beginning Aug. 20. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

The Police Department has been operating without a fifth officer for a long time. But over the course of three days last week, two other officers, Ptl. Ashley Rich and Lt. Derek MacDonald, gave their two week notices, said Hodsdon, adding that Officer Rob Drouin is considering resigning as well.

Further, he said their reserves have not been able to assist because they’ve been short staffed at their departments. And Hodsdon himself has been restricted to desk duty due to an injury.

“It was just a mass exodus, that’s all it is. It wasn’t about money. That I’m very frustrated is an understatement. We’re going to try to restructure,” said Hodsdon, who has served in law enforcement for 27 years and been Mexico’s chief since 2013.

“The reason we did what we did was that we have to set protocols to protect the town. By state law, in order for the (Oxford County) sheriff’s department to have to cover our town, calls for service, you have to not have a police department,” he said.

“It’s not a knee-jerk reaction. It was the only action the town had to protect its citizens (population of 2,756 at the 2020 census). And it was a hard decision for me because I had to talk to my boss and tell her we need to do this,” he said. “We’re not trying to give up. It’s taking a pause to try to regroup and see if we can come up with a way to reopen our doors.”

There will be an informational meeting about future law enforcement coverage on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Town Hall.

When Hodsdon told her the news, Welch-Day said, “I was blindsided. I’m glad he called me on the weekend so that I time to process.”

She said, “It’s hard when it’s a situation that’s out of your control. All we can do is try to come up with ideas outside of the box and see if we can entice people to come.”

Hodsdon said it’s been a three-year process to get their police fleet in good shape. Welch-Day added that they don’t want to get rid of that.

EXPECT SLOWER RESPONSE TIMES 

Hodsdon said, “There’s just a mass epidemic of no one wanting to do our job. The pool is empty. All we’ve been doing is trying to soak up what’s left in the pool and there’s nothing. People are generally staying put where they’re at.”

“I’ve never been able to not hire anyone. This has been the worst I’ve ever seen,” said the chief. “It’s not just us. Everybody’s going through the same.”

Hodsdon said the number of calls for service was taking its toll on his officers. Through July, his department is on a pace to exceed the more than 4,000 calls they responded to in 2023.

“I will not be in any official law enforcement capacity for the town come the 20th because we have to place our police department on idle,” said Hodsdon.

During this idle status, Welch-Day said Hodsdon will continue to receive his pay.

“I’m going to stay on as the keeper of the records for the town,” Hodsdon said. “In the short term, we have a lot of work to secure the assets of the town, the inventory of the town, all of our equipment, and criminal records and evidence which has to all be gone through because the town is responsible for that, even though we don’t have a police department.”

After Aug. 20, citizens should expect slower response times.

“That’s the entire reason we’ve always want to be able have our police department — because we are right here, and we’ve always been right here, even with a small force,” Hodsdon said.

Until Aug. 20, Hodsdon said his department will be operating as usual as the two resigning officers will continue to work as they honor their two week notice. After that date, calls for service will be at the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office at 207-743-9554, with all emergency calls handled by the Oxford County Regional Communications Center.

WORKING AS AN OFFICER IN A SMALL TOWN

“The reason I like a small town is that it is a community. We’re known. They know us by name. They understand us. You get to feel how the community appreciates you if you’re doing your work,” Hodsdon said. “They will honor you. And we’ve had that honor here, so working for that small town has always been a plus to me.”

Hodsdon noted that kind of experience would be “invaluable” for a new police officer.

“When you work here, you understand the calls and know the people you’re dealing with, for the most part, and you get to build that repertoire with them,” he said. “There isn’t anyone around who’s been here more than five years that doesn’t know me and who my officers are.

“I’ve had some potential recruits approach me who are interested in becoming police officers, but they aren’t at any of the levels, even the minimum levels, to even entertain them to come work for us. They would need to pass certain things before they could do so and they weren’t anywhere near that,” said Hodsdon.

“It’s a mess. We’re going to try to regroup and get back out there, but it’s going to be tough,” said Welch-Day. She noted that the longtime dedication of the police chief is factor in not giving up.

Anyone who would like to apply to work for the Police Department can start the process by contacting the Town Office at 207-364-7971.