Kerns Likely to Be Appointed Permanent Police Chief

Council and Selectmen Have Appointment on Next Week's Agenda

BAR HARBOR—The Bar Harbor Town Council will vote at its meeting on Tuesday, November 21, at the Municipal Building on Cottage Street, whether or not to select Acting Police Chief David Kerns to be the police chief. Mount Desert has a similar motion on its November 20 agenda.

Kerns would replace former chief Jim Willis who retired this summer. Mount Desert and Bar Harbor have shared a police department since 2013. Prior to becoming acting chief, Kerns had been acting as a dual captain. He’s worked for the police department in Bar Harbor for 23 years and studied at the University of Maine and the University of Augusta.

Mount Desert Town Manager Durlin Lunt said in late October that the search had been wrapped up.

“The process was conducted under the leadership of our human resource compliance officer who is shared with Bar Harbor,” Lunt said.

Willis began in November 2013 as a temporary Bar Harbor police chief. Eventually, the two towns shared him as chief, an agreement that Finance Director Sarah Gilbert said continues to exist despite Willis’ retirement. Under the agreement, Willis was an employee of Mount Desert, which then invoiced Bar Harbor each month for 60 percent of the costs. Costs include salary, cruiser, and cell expenses as well as professional association dues.

Willis now works at Dirigo Safety, LLC, which is based in Auburn and provides consultation and law enforcement training. There is currently a one-year contract between Dirigo and Mount Desert and Bar Harbor for Willis to advise the departments as needed at a rate of $100 an hour, with an expectation of eight hours a week. The contract renews automatically after a year. Parties can change or end it as well.

New Town Manager James Smith wrote in his memo to the Town Council,

“Captain David Kerns has been filling in as Interim Police Chief since Jim Willis’ retirement in August. After a recruitment process that included interviewing 3 candidates, I am recommending that the Town Council approve my appointment of Dave Kerns as Police Chief. Dave has been with the department for 24 years and worked closely with Chief Willis the past 10 years while the position has been shared with the Town of Mt. Desert. A possible motion: to approve the Town Manager’s appointment of David Kerns as Police Chief.”

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LINK TO LEARN MORE

https://www.barharbormaine.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11212023-3317

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