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By Zendelle Bouchard
The Sanford City Council has taken the first step of an action plan to address impacts to our community caused by a group of unhoused residents with chronic substance use disorder (SUD) by unanimously adopting a resolution urging the state legislature and governor to take action on several key points.
In a memo to the Council, City Manager Steve Buck said the city and the Sanford Police Department have exhausted all avenues to assist these individuals, but they refuse resources and are on “a constant cycle of defying law enforcement” and denying medical treatment. He outlined the ways this population is detrimentally impacting the city, which include abuse of parks, obstructing traffic and blocking sidewalks, repeated incidents of criminal trespass, disorderly and indecent conduct, public drinking and drug use, and syringe (needle) waste. He said impacts from the homeless addicts have been identified in the ongoing Comprehensive Plan Survey as the number one complaint by city residents who responded.
The resolution states the Homeless Protocol mandates which the legislature directed the state attorney general to issue during the pandemic were intended to promote harm reduction and treatment, “but in practice have led to increased open-air drug use, inappropriately discarded needles in public spaces, diminished accountability for drug traffickers and repeated bail violations without recourse…the directive and intent for ‘treatment, not jail’ rings hollow without adequate infrastructure, as Maine continues to face a severe shortage of detox beds” and other treatment resources.
The resolution urges the Maine legislature and governor to do the following:
- Restore felony penalties for possession of lethal drugs such as fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine.
- Amend the Good Samaritan law to protect bystanders while ensuring accountability for traffickers and evidence preservation.
- Reform bail practices to end the revolving door of repeat offenders who violate conditions with impunity.
- Establish “Incarcerated Recovery” programs that provide detox, treatment, and structured re-entry for repeat offenders.
- Invest in treatment infrastructure with same-day access to detox and mental health services.
- Fund syringe disposal and cleanup programs to address the hazards caused by legalized syringe possession or syringe service programs.
The resolution also asks for cooperation of state, county, and municipal law enforcement with federal authorities in fighting drug trafficking; resources for enforcement against illicit and international operations exploiting Maine’s cannabis laws; and annual reporting linking overdoses, arrests, treatment diversion, and sentencing outcomes to evidence-based treatment of SUD.
The resolution concludes with the Council calling on the Maine State Legislature “to return to balance — combining compassion with accountability, investing in real treatment capacity, and restoring effective law enforcement and judicial actions to better protect all Maine communities.”
In addition to the resolution, the city’s action plan includes elevating public awareness of the needed legislative action; addressing the impacts of needle waste and cleanup costs; consideration of a dedicated Street Crimes/Drug Enforcement division within the SPD; improving drug treatment programs at the York County Jail; partnering with the Sanford Housing Authority in its 30-unit Housing For Good project off Heritage Crossing; and other steps.
The memo from Buck and the full text of the resolution may be found in the agenda packet, beginning on page 71.
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