Sheriff's Log January 17 - 23, 2016

The Knox County Sheriff's office received 339 calls for service from January 17 to January 23. Those calls that are not listed below include agency assists, animal problems, bail and warrant checks, business and residential alarms, business and residential property checks, citizen assists, civil disputes, crisis interventions, nuisances, paperwork service, police information, suspicious persons and circumstances, traffic hazards, and traffic stops. An arrest or summons does not constitute a finding of guilt. An individual charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at criminal proceedings.

January 17

Deputy Jeremy Joslyn responded to a single vehicle crash in Cushing. Functional damage and no injuries reported.

Dep. Paul Pinkham responded to a report of erratic operating vehicles in Friendship. The vehicles were not located.

Pinkham, Dep. Kenneth Smith and Sgt. Lance Mitchell responded to a two vehicle crash in Owls Head. Functional damage and minor injuries reported.

Following a traffic stop in Union, Deputy Paul Spear issued a summons for failure to produce evidence of insurance.

Spear responded to a single vehicle and deer crash in Union. Functional damage and no injuries reported.

Dep. Arthur Smith responded to a single vehicle and deer crash in So. Thomaston. Functional damage and no injuries were reported.

A. Smith and Dep. Scott Redmun responded to a two-vehicle crash in Cushing. Disabling damage and minor injuries reported. Redmun arrested Clyde K. Maloney Jr., 70, of Cushing, for operating under the influence of alcohol, assault, operating after license suspension, and operating without a license. Redmun summoned Clyde K. Maloney Jr., 70, of Friendship, for failure to provide evidence of insurance.

Spear and A. Smith responded to a single vehicle and deer crash in So. Thomaston. No damage or injuries reported.

January 18

Dep. Nathaniel Jack responded to a single vehicle crash in St. George. No damage or injuries reported.

Jack and Mitchell responded to a report of a vehicle operating erratically in Washington. The vehicle was located, no violations were observed.

Redmun and A. Smith arrested Clyde K. Maloney Jr., 70, of Cushing, for violation of conditional release.

January 19

Following a traffic stop in Appleton, Jack issued a summons for failure to display current/valid inspection.

Jack responded to a single vehicle crash in Union. Functional damage and no injuries reported.

Jack responded to a single vehicle crash in Hope. No damage or injuries reported.

Redmun responded to a report of a missing person in Friendship. The individual was located without incident.

Redmun arrested Gary D. Taylor, 28, of Springvale, on an active arrest warrant in Rockland.

Spear responded to a single vehicle crash in Union. No damage or injuries reported.

Spear responded to a single vehicle and deer crash in Warren. Functional damage and no injuries reported.

Redmun responded to a single vehicle crash in So. Thomaston. The incident is still under investigation.

January 20

Dep. John Hansen, Sgt. John Palmer and Detective Dwight Burtis responded to a report of a domestic in Friendship. Hansen arrested Jonathan J. Sevon, 41, of Friendship, for domestic violence assault.

Jack responded to a report of a theft in Washington. An investigation determined that the potential offense occurred in Augusta. The investigation was transferred to the Augusta Police Department.

Spear conducted a radar detail in Appleton. No summonses or arrests.

January 21

Jack responded to a two-vehicle crash in Warren. Functional damage and no injuries reported.

Jack responded to a report of an assault in St. George. The incident is still under investigation.

Palmer and Lieutenant Reginald Walker responded to a report of fraud in Warren. Palmer arrested Karen B. Larsen, 51, of Warren, for misuse of identification, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, and possession of scheduled drugs.

Redmun responded to a two-vehicle crash in St. George. Functional damage and no injuries reported.

Sgt. Matthew Elwell conducted a traffic detail in Friendship. No summonses or arrests.

Joslyn conducted a radar detail in Friendship. No summonses or arrests.

Elwell conducted a traffic detail in Union. No summonses or arrests.

Spear conducted a traffic detail in Hope. A summons for failure to produce evidence of insurance was issued.

Joslyn and Spear responded to a single vehicle crash in Warren. Maine State Police Trooper Sgt. Patrick Hood was on scene investigating the crash when deputies arrived.

January 22

Joslyn and Elwell responded to a report of a domestic in Warren. The resulting investigation led to a determination no criminal offenses had occurred.

Det. Justin Twitchell responded to a report of a sexual assault. The resulting investigation led to a determination that no criminal offenses had occurred.

Dep. Justin Hills conducted several traffic details on North Haven. No summonses or arrests.

Following a traffic stop in Washington, Spear issued Jacob L. Pike, 25, of Trevett, summonses for operating a motor vehicle while license suspended or revoked and for sale or use of drug paraphernalia. Spear also arrested a passenger, Justin M. Couture, 25, of Palermo, on three active arrest warrants.

Following an investigation for a reported citizen dispute, Elwell issued Crystal G. Parmenter, 30, of Washington, a summons for operating a motor vehicle while license suspended or revoked.

Dep. Robert Potter conducted a radar detail on Vinalhaven. No summonses or arrests.

Joslyn arrested David G. Byrd, 62, of Union, on an active arrest warrant in Union.

January 23

Potter responded to a single vehicle crash on Vinalhaven. Disabling damage and no injuries were reported. Potter issued Shannon M. Michael, 26, of Waltham, MA, summonses for leaving the scene of a property damage crash and failure to report a crash by quickest means.

Pinkham responded to a single vehicle crash in Appleton. Functional damage and no injuries were reported.

Palmer responded to a single vehicle crash in Warren. No damage or injuries reported.

Joslyn conducted a radar detail in Owls Head. No summonses or arrests.

Healthcare Hard Drives Lost

Centene Corporation, a Fortune 500 company based in St. Louis, MO, has announced that it is searching for six hard drives which are unaccounted for among its information technology assets.

The company provides programs and services for government-sponsored healthcare, including Medicaid, “the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as well as Aged, Blind or Disabled (ABD), Foster Care and Long Term Care (LTC), in addition to other state-sponsored/hybrid programs, and Medicare,” according to its announcement.

According to information posted by Centene, the missing hard drives contain personal information for approximately 950,000 patients who received laboratory services between 2009 and 2015. In addition to personal health information, the hard drives also include names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers and member ID numbers. Financial and payment information is not included in the information contained on the hard drives.

The company is in the process of notifying those whose information was affected. It will offer free healthcare and credit monitoring.  Centene’s corporate headquarters can be reached by calling (314) 725-4477.

If you believe that your information may have been affected, Maine Identity Services advises you to:

• Carefully examine any “explanation of benefits” statements you receive from your healthcare insurance providers.

• Make sure that any bills you receive from laboratories, physicians or medical billing services are for services YOU received.

• Place a free security freeze on your credit file with the three credit bureaus by calling:

Transunion – 1-888-909-8872

Experian – 1-888-397-3742

Equifax - 1-800-685-5000

• Order copies of your credit reports by contacting 1-877-322-8228 and continue to monitor your reports.

• File your 2015 income tax return as soon as possible to avoid becoming a victim of income tax fraud using your social security number.

Maine Identity Services, LLC provides data breach and identity theft support for data breach and identity theft victims and police departments. For more information about our services or to order our Data Breach Repair Kit® contact us at 1-855-463-4343 or visit our website at www.meidhelp.com

Maine sheriffs say cooperation making jail system work despite challenges

Here's an article by Peter McGuire on www.centralmaine.com about the status of the County jail system in Maine:

http://www.centralmaine.com/2016/01/21/maine-sheriffs-say-cooperation-is-making-jail-system-work-despite-challenges/

Knox County Sheriff's Office Employee Awards for 2015

On Sunday, January 17th, the Knox County Sheriff's Office recognized some of its employees.

 

Corrections Officer Angela Escorsio was selected as the Corrections Officer of the Year for 2015. Angela is confident, reliable, and trustworthy. She is a prime example of the benefits of hiring veterans.

Corrections Officer Angela Escorsio and Sheriff Donna Dennison

Deputy Jeremy Joslyn was selected as the Deputy of the Year for 2015. Jeremy is credited with lifesaving support after responding to a drug overdose by performing CPR until the ambulance arrived with Narcan. He is also the County's K-9 officer, handling both a bloodhound search dog and a drug dog. He has been a big asset to the department.

 

Deputy Jeremy Joslyn and Sheriff Donna Dennison

Jail Administrative Assistant Heidi Norweg was selected as the Employee of the year for 2015 for the Sheriff's Department. Heidi has proven herself many times over as the Administrative Assistant at the Jail. She is always willing to help others even though she is often very busy with her own work. Her positive attitude is certainly a virtue. She never brings her problems to work, nor does she complain.

Jail Administrative Assistant Heidi Norweg

Please join us in congratulating these amazing employees!

Terrorizing and Threatening in Union - January 11, 2016

At approximately 6:30 p.m. on the evening of January 11th, Knox County Deputies had to respond to a call from a female at a residence on North Union Road in Union regarding a domestic disturbance and that the male party had gone outside with a gun and said he was going to kill himself. The female caller said she had heard a gunshot.

Sergeant Patrick Polky, Deputy Scott Redmun, and Deputy Arthur Smith were first on scene and found Ryan Hopkins, 25, of Union, outside in the driveway, alert, with a rifle. Deputies notified Knox Dispatch that they were confronting Hopkins at gunpoint and he was not cooperating to put his gun down. According to Deputies, Hopkins repeatedly challenged them to shoot him. Deputies called for further assistance. Chief Deputy Tim Carroll responded when alerted and asked Dispatch to notify nearby, off-duty units to respond as well as the Maine State Police Tactical Unit due to the fact that Hopkins had retreated into the wood line and was not able to bee seen by on-scene units.

A short time later, Hopkins came out of the woods and reengaged contact with the Deputies. Sgt. Polky was able to talk Hopkins into giving up and he was taken into custody without further incident. Hopkins was transported to the Penobscot Bay Medical Center for an evaluation and later taken to the Knox County Jail on felony charges of Domestic Violence Terrorizing with a Dangerous Weapon and Criminal Threatening with a Dangerous Weapon.

Hopkins remains at the Knox County Jail.

Part-time Corrections Officers needed!

Have you thought about starting a career in Corrections?

The Knox County Sheriff's Office is still looking for some motivated individuals interested in working as part-time corrections officers at the Knox County Jail. No experience necessary because we will train the right people. Is that you?

If you would like to see the job description and/or the job application to apply, click on this link to go directly to the County's employment page. Mail your completed application to:

 

County Administrative Office

62 Union Street

Rockland, ME 04841

Or drop it off in person at the same address. You will find the County Administrative Office on the ground floor of the courthouse.

2nd Annual Citizen's Police Academy

The Knox County Sheriff's Office is pleased to announce its second annual Citizen's Police Academy. The Sheriff's Office has found that education has been the most effective in gaining understanding and support from the community. Through implementation of the Citizen's Police Academy, the Sheriff's Office can offer the citizens of Knox County new insights into how police, corrections officers, and dispatchers perform their duties, as well as how these departments serve the community.

The Citizen's Police Academy is a ten-week program where citizens from the community attend a three-hour class for one night each week. Citizens who wish to attend may download the application from the Sheriff's Office website: www.knoxso.com or pick one up at the Sheriff's Office at 301 Park Street in Rockland. Completed applications can be returned to the Sheriff's Office between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. After review, the Sheriff and her staff will select all attendees. Sheriff's Office personnel will teach classes.

The curriculum will cover such areas as the history of the Sheriff's Office, including a tour of the facility, Maine law, patrol procedures, criminal investigation, evidence recovery, and specialties such as K-9 patrol, drug enforcement, and more. Each participant can also elect to go on a ride-along with a patrol deputy and receive basic hands-on training in the mechanics of arrest control and basic hand-to-hand combat techniques.

Classes begin March 16th and are held every Wednesday night from 6 - 9 p.m.