Questions about whether the Maine State Police is allowing racial profiling to fester in its ranks escalated this week, with one state lawmaker calling for heightened scrutiny of recent arrests and of an award given to one particular officer.
Representative Jeffrey Evangelos, a Friendship independent, says that Trooper John Darcy was named "Trooper of the Year" last year while facing allegations of racial profiling in several cases. Evangelos says he asked state Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck whether that was done as a deliberate taunt directed at the Black Lives Matter movement.
Sauschuck replied this week that an internal review could not substantiate that connection. Evangelos says he believes the department is dodging responsibility for a broader problem.
"This isn't just a few bad apples anymore. There is systemic misconduct and abuse of power within law enforcement, and very little opportunity to hold anybody accountable," he says.
In a press statement, the Maine State Police says it can't comment on ongoing investigations.
In a recent email provided by Evangelos, a department lawyer told him he was reviewing four cases in which police profiling has been alleged to determine whether videos of those incidents can be disclosed.
Evangelos is calling for a broader review and has asked the state's Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations to consider opening its own inquiry.