Does the Falmouth Police Department really need a 600-hp boat for the harbor master to carry out his duties ?

The Town Council accepted a grant from Homeland Security in the amount of $225,000 and is adding another $102,000 from mooring fees to purchase this boat. A total cost of $327,000, without fully vetting the strings that are attached.

How soon we forget the $30,000 grant the town accepted from the National Park Service to purchase the land beside the Motz School. Then had to spend over $1 million to mitigate the land when the property was sold to OceanView.

It is not prudent to accept federal grants without fully understanding the consequences. Falmouth has lost focus of the duties of the harbor master by creating a Marine Division of the Police Department. Falmouth has four islands. Macworth has road access, Clapboard has two seasonal properties and two ledges called The Brothers.

What justifies an expenditure of this magnitude for a boat that is only in service six months out of the year?

The U.S. Coast Guard and Portland’s Marine Fire/EMS is within an eye shot, plus Lifeflight, and all operate 24/7/365 with highly trained personnel.

This boat is not even being built here in Maine, where we have long heritage in boat building, but in Oregon.

This is another example of extravagant town spending that has little or no benefit to the majority of Falmouth residents.

John P. Winslow
Falmouth