Frye Island, a small town located on the eponymous island in Sebago Lake and only inhabited for half the year, is reestablishing a police department following a reduction of services from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

Town Manager Bill Braun said the island previously had a contract with the sheriff’s office for 40 hours a week of patrol during the six months the island is occupied. Braun said the contract gradually had to be attenuated due to staffing shortages. In January, the town received a notice that, while still willing to respond to calls, the sheriff’s office would not be able to offer a preventive patrol contract until further notice.

The department will initially consist of one full-time chief and three part-time officers. Service expected to start in mid-May. The town has voted to create a permanent headquarters in the basement of the town hall.

The new police chief, Peter Herring, is a longtime game warden for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Herring, who appeared on the reality show “North Woods Law,” will provide much of the patrol coverage himself, alongside other experienced personnel, whom he recruited. According to a press release from the town, four officers have undergone the necessary qualification process to serve on Frye Island.

Attempts to reach Herring were unsuccessful.