Frequently Asked Questions

In order to report a crime in Waterville you need to contact the Police Department via the Communications Center. The Communications ("Comm") Center can be reached via phone at 680-4700. This is the method used for most types of (non-emergency) calls which require and officer to respond. These types of calls include criminal mischief (vandalism), harassment, loud music, traffic complaints, or any type of incident that is not currently in progress. Alternately, you may also report incidents at the Communications Center itself, which is located just below City Hall at 1 Common Street. The entrance to the building in on Front Street across the street from the Morning Sentinel building and Head of Falls parking lot. You can also access the Comm Center from inside the City Hall building. Remember that the Waterville Police Department only has jurisdiction in the City of Waterville and can only handle incidents which occurred within city limits. For incidents which have occurred outside of the City of Waterville, you need to speak with the agency having Jurisdiction in that area; if you're not sure who the appropriate agency is, the Comm Center can guide you to the correct agency.

For emergency calls, you can simply dial 9-1-1 from your telephone. Emergency calls include any type of crime where life or property is in danger. These include, but are not necessarily limited to fires and/or smoke in a building, calls for emergency medical services (EMS), fights in progress, and car accidents.

*Note that if you dial 9-1-1 from a cellular telephone, your call will be answered my Maine State Police headquarters in Augusta. You will then be transferred to the Waterville Communications Center.

Reportable Accidents - "If I am in an accident, do I need to notify the police department?"

The operator of a motor vehicle is required to notify the police department of the town/city in which a collision occurs if it results in injury, death, or apparent combined damage of $1,000 or more on a public way (includes damage to all vehicles and property). If you're in doubt about the dollar amount of damage, you should contact the police department.

Hours of Operation

The Waterville Police Department is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year to serve the residents and visitors of the City of Waterville. The Communications Center, which answers the phones for the police department is manned 24 hours a day as well. The Records Office and Chief's Office is open during normal business hours, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Requests for accident and police reports should be made during business hours.

Animal Control

The Waterville Police Department employs an Animal Control Officer (ACO) which covers animal problems in the city of Waterville. To contact the ACO, you must call the Waterville Communications Center at 680-4700 and describe the nature of the problem. The dispatcher will take your name, number, and address and then page the ACO on your behalf. The ACO will then contact you directly and make arrangements with you regarding the issue. The Communications Center also answers for the ACO for the Towns of Winslow, Oakland, and Clinton.

Firearms and Concealed Weapons Permits

The State of Maine does not require owners of guns to register them. It should be noted, however, that there are laws that prohibit the concealment of firearms. Waterville residents who own firearms or who routinely transport firearms for recreational or self-defense purposes can apply for a concealed firearms permit. Applications for concealed firearms permits are done through the Chief's Office. Any such requests should be made to Kathleen in that office. If you live in a town other than Waterville, you should contact your local police department. If you live in a town without a municipal police department, you should contact the Maine State Police, section of Gaming and Weapons..

Police and Accident Reports

In order to obtain a copy of a police report (incident or accident), you will need to contact Judy in the Records Department. Prior to requesting an accident report, please wait two to five business days to allow the officer time to complete the report, as well for the report to be approved for submission to the State of Maine. If you need information from the report for your insurance company in order to obtain a rental car or medical care, please call Judy during business hours at (207)-680-4700. Accident and incident reports should be requested during normal business hours (Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM). There is a $7.00 fee charged to obtain reports.

It is the policy of the Waterville Police Department, in accordance with the Maine Freedom of Access Law, to provide public access to the public records of the Waterville Police Department. If you wish to obtain an incident report, please download and fill out the Freedom of Access Records Request; it is available in both Microsoft Word and PDF formats. This form is not necessary if you are requesting an accident report, and you are one of the involved parties.

Background Checks and Criminal Records

If you need to obtain a copy of your criminal record, you need to contact the State Bureau of Identifcation in Augusta. They can be reached at 624-7240. For a record of contacts that you have had with the Waterville Police Department, make a equest to Judy, in the Records Office. The Records Office, which is open during regular business hours can be reached through the Communications Center at (207)-680-4700.

Premise Checks

The Waterville Police Department offers premise checks for vacant residences upon request. If you are planning on leaving your residence for an extended period of time (vacation, etc.), you may request a premise check. Premise Check forms can be picked up at the Police Department at the Communications Center, or downloaded here (PDF and Microsoft Word). The form will ask for the dates of vacancy, as well as general information about the residence that will assist the patrol officers in their duties.

Vehicle Lockouts

The Waterville Police Department will attempt to unlock a vehicle if you have accidentally locked your keys in the vehicle. There are exceptions to this police (if the vehicle is equipped with side airbags, etc.). Please keep in mind that occasionally the officers will be unable to open vehicles, due to a high call volume. In this instance you will be notified and the Communications Center will offer to call a wrecker service of your choice, or our on-call wrecker for the week. AAA will unlock vehicles for their customers as well.

Parking Bans, Parking Tickets, and Other Parking Issues

The City of Waterville currently has a winter parking ban which runs from December 1st through April 1st. Vehicles may not be parked on any public way from midnight to 6:00 AM. Parking is now permitted overnight in the Concourse year-round where designated, EXCEPT when it is actively snowing or prohibited by signs indicating snow removal. Other prohibited parking locations include: on sidewalks, in front of driveways, in front of a fire hydrant, and other locations which are restricted by signs and/or a yellow curb.

To pay a parking ticket received in the City of Waterville, make checks or money orders payable to the "City of Waterville." You may either pay the ticket in person at City Hall, or you may mail the payment to the City:
City Hall - Finance Department
1 Common Street
Waterville, ME 04901

If you've received a parking ticket in the City of Waterville and have questions about it or you wish to contest the parking ticket, you may request a form to rescind the ticket. These can be obtained at the Police Department Communications Center, or you can download them here (PDF or Microsoft Word).

Non-Criminal Fingerprinting

The Police Department does provide non-criminal fingerprinting services. Reasons for these requests generally include employment application, child adoption, or travel out of the country, etc. Non-criminal fingerprinting is done at the Police Department on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM every week. There may be a small fee associated with this service. Further questions about Non-criminal fingerprinting may be directed to Sergeant Benecke at the Communications Center. It is strongly recommended that you call the station prior to coming in, to make sure that the facility is available. Please bring a government-issued photo ID.

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How to Obtain a Protection Order (PO)

The Police Department does not issue protection from abuse or protection from harassment orders. These must be obtained at the District Court, which is located at 18 Colby Street in Waterville. The Pine Tree Legal Assistance website offers a very comprehensive web page on how the law works in Maine when it comes to obtaining these orders. The link to the website it provided for referenece only. The Waterville Police Department does not maintain the content on the PTLA website. Questions about the content on their website should be directed to them. The main PTLA website is www.ptla.org.

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Traffic Tickets for Failure to Provide Evidence of Insurance

The state of Maine requires all motorists to provide evidence of current insurance upon the demand of a law enforcement. When an officer conducts a traffic stop, you will generally be asked to provide three items. These include your driver's license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance. If you fail to provide evidence of insurance, you may be issued a ticket for the violation. If you are able to provide evidence of insurance after the ticket has been issued, and the officer has sent you on your way, you can usually mail a copy of the insurance card in to the Violations Bureau with your summons. You should call the Violations Bureau at (207) 783-5422 for more assistance on contesting a traffic summons. Note that the insurance card must show proof that the insurance was in effect at the time of the traffic stop!

"Bad Checks" (NSF checks, closed accounts)

Currently, Officer Steve Brame handles all the "bad check" cases. A "bad check" is a check that is written on a closed account, or has insufficient funds to cover the amount of the check. Before Officer Picard can begin working on a bad check case, there are certain things that the complainant must do. All bad check cases need to have a "bad check" packet completed. These packets can be picked up at the Communications Center and outline all the instructions that need to be included. You can download the packet as well, and have your choice of PDF or Microsoft Word. Once the packet has been completed, it can be returned to the Communications Center / Officer Brickey for follow up. In order for the Police Department to handle such a case, the check must have been passed in Waterville, regardless of where the recipient or the person who wrote the check resides. If the check was passed in another town, that agency will have jurisdiction of the matter.

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in Waterville

The Mobile DMV Unit is in Waterville on the first Monday and second and fourth Friday of every month from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The unit is located at 93 Main Street (The Center building) upstairs on the third floor in Council Chambers. Further questions about the Mobile DMV Unit should be directed to the DMV/Secretary of State's Office, at 624-9000.

Sex Offender Resource Officer

Deputy Ron Raymond is available to answer questions about sex offenders living Waterville. Deputy Raymond's current schedule is flexible, so he may not always be in the office. If you have non-emergency or routine questions you should feel free to contact him at the police department (680-4700), or send him an e-mail. If he is currently working, but out of the building, you may leave a message for him in his voicemail; the dispatcher will let him know that he has a message waiting and he can return to the station to check it. If you're question is time-sensitive (for example, a sex offender is possibly violating conditions of his/her probation) or can not wait until Deputy Raymond is working again, contact the police department and describe the question so that the dispatcher can connect you to the appropriate person.

School Resource Officer (SRO)

The School Resource Officer is a designated officer who works with the Waterville School System to help create a link between the children and the Police Department. The SRO is also available to assist the staff and administration with disciplinary issues. Currently Detective Alan Main is our SRO and he may be contacted at (207)-680-4700 or via e-mail: amain@waterville-me.gov

Elder Service Officer

The Elder Service Officer is a designated officer who has received enhanced training regarding elder-related law enforcement topics. As our Elder Service Officer, Detective Dave Caron, makes scheduled visits to local facilities to discuss relevant topics with elderly residents. This is a proactive approach in our protection of the elderly. If you wish to contact the Elder Service Officer, you may do so at (207)-680-4700 or by way of e-mail at dcaron@waterville-me.gov.

South-End Community Policing Officer

The South-End Community Policing Officer is a designated officer dedicated to working together with people in the community to improve quality of life. This officer is proactive rather than reactive to problems and situations in the South End. For more information, contact South End Neighborhood Association Officer Todd Burbank at one of the following:

South End Office: (207)-859-1666
Police Department: (207)-680-4700
E-mail: tburbank@waterville-me.gov
Website: http://www.waterville-me.gov/police_htm/southend.htm

Or, stop by and see him at 101 Water Street room 214 (second floor).

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