Category: Public Safety

Public Safety Update: Shooting, Fire/EMS Stats

By Zendelle Bouchard Sanford Police Department Shooting Incident: The SPD is investigating multiple reports of gunshots in the area of Bodwell Street late at night on Tuesday, Aug. 20. Officers immediately responded to the area. The initial investigation did not reveal any victims or injuries, but a pane of glass in the School Street bus shelter was shattered, and shell casings were found nearby. Detectives from the SPD’s Criminal Investigation Division were still on scene Wednesday morning and are following…

Grant Money to Help Fund New Ambulance

Ambulance 1 is the primary ambulance out of the Springvale Station. Photo: Sanford Fire Department By Carolyn Cadigan Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s office contacted the Sanford FIre Department (SFD) on Aug. 7 with news that SFD has been awarded a grant through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The grant, amounting to $422,727 according to the FEMA website, will fund 90 percent of the cost for an additional ambulance. The grant helps firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment,…

Toddler Suffers Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound

On Tuesday, July 2, the Sanford Police Department received a call for the sound of a gunshot at 13 Shaw Rd. SPD officers and Sanford EMS responded and found a three-year-old boy with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his left hand. The child was accompanied by his father. The boy was transported to Maine Medical Center where he is being treated for his injury. The pistol was recovered inside the residence. SPD’s Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the incident. This…

Sanford Man Arrested on Charges Related to Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

The man believed to be Christopher Belliveau of Sanford, outlined in yellow, is shown approaching Capitol Police officers. Photo: Federal Bureau of Investigation Press Release A Sanford man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including for allegedly assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol that disrupted certification of the 2020 presidential election results. According to a press release Wednesday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Christopher Belliveau, 38, is charged with five felony…

Do I Need a Permit to Use My Fire Pit?

Photo: Kev from Pixabay By Zendelle Bouchard The short answer to whether fires in fire pits require a burn permit is “maybe.” Maine residents and visitors need to be aware of a new law passed by the state in 2023 regarding recreational fires, including the use of fire pits, outdoor fireplaces and campfires for cooking, personal warmth, light, ceremonial or aesthetic purposes. If you want to have an open fire of three feet or more in diameter on your property,…