Scarborough voters will be asked to approve three bond questions in the Nov. 5 election, including one for body and cruiser cameras for the Police Department and another for a new pumper truck for the Fire Department.

The two public safety-related bonds would total up to nearly $2 million. A third bond question unrelated to public safety seeks voter approval for the town to borrow $6 million to acquire and preserve land.

Police cameras

If approved by voters next month, a $996,707 bond would be used by the Police Department to purchase body and cruiser cameras, along with servers on which to store footage.

The Scarborough Police Department is the only department in Cumberland County that does not have either body cameras, cruiser cameras or both. Officers have argued that footage from body and cruiser cameras is widely used for criminal prosecution and that the cameras provide more accountability, both for officers carrying out their duties and people they encounter.

The department also claims cameras help keep officers safe by allowing them to communicate with dispatch hands-free, and that video feed and GPS trackers that come with the systems can help the department locate officers in distress.

There are currently 46 sworn officers in the Police Department, according to the town, and the proposal for 50 body-worn and 10 cruiser cameras would account for future growth.

Pumper truck

Voters also will be asked to authorize spending of up to $1 million on a new pumper truck for the Fire Department.

The truck would replace one that is over 20 years old. The purchase of a new truck is part of the department’s comprehensive “strategic apparatus replacement plan.”

The department argues that a new pumper truck will lower maintenance costs. First purchased in 2008 for less than $400,000, the 20-year-old truck has cost the department roughly $90,000 in upkeep since 2019, the department reported to the Town Council in July.

The department has noted it can take two to four years for a new fire engine to be built and delivered. Costs for fire trucks have increased by $375,000 in the past two years, the department says, meaning a delay in the purchase could lead to a higher cost in the future.

Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Scarborough High School on Nov. 5. For information on voting in Scarborough, go to scarboroughmaine.org and navigate to the Elections page and the town’s Voting page. The Clerk’s Office can be reached at 730-4020 for additional questions.