Bangor reintroduces patrol officers for the city centre

BANGOR, Maine – The city of Bangor once again has its own police officer patrolling the downtown area.

Officer Keith Larby has been stationed downtown since late May, and many people, especially local business owners like Rick Vigue, owner of Rebecca’s Gift Shop, have begun to feel his impact.

“He comes by and visits everyone. He is clearly visible to customers and many people just feel much safer around him,” Vigue said.

Vigue and other downtown business owners had become accustomed to their presence downtown since Bangor police had a foot cop on patrol downtown from 2013 to 2021.

Sgt. Jason McCambley cited personnel problems as the main reason for the loss of the position.

“For a while we couldn’t do it because we were so short on police officers that we had to put someone back in a car driving around and going to the incidents. Now we’re at the point where we can send someone downtown,” McCambley said.

The call for the reinstatement of patrol officers arose from the need for the city to address substance abuse, mental health crises and loitering in the downtown area.

But Sergeant McCambley says that in the relatively short time that Officer Larby has been downtown, Bangor police have already noticed a difference.

“Behavior changes when you’re being watched, and we have a problem with some people downtown doing things they shouldn’t be doing. And Officer Larby has already done a lot to curb that,” McCambley said.

One of the reasons Officer Larby was successful on his patrols was because he changed his route every day.

“I want to be somewhat unpredictable so that the people who are down here doing unsavory things don’t know when to expect me,” Larby said.

However, when Officer Larby catches someone doing “uncomfortable things,” his first reaction is to talk rather than handcuff people.

“I find that when I chat with someone as if they were my buddy or friend, it reduces tensions considerably, especially with people who are addicted to drugs, have mental health issues or are homeless,” Larby said.

According to Officer Larby, such interactions are often lacking in police work.

Officer Larby will be stationed in downtown Bangor year-round.

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