Police arrest more Saco River revelers as summer nears its end

By David Carkhuff

Police on Saturday arrested five Massachusetts residents for disorderly conduct at Canal Bridge campground in Fryeburg, and one for criminal trespass at Fiddlehead Campground.Another man, also from Massachusetts, was taken into custody for criminal trespass along the river.Police are waiting for the end of summer so they can catch their breath after a busy summer of enforcement on the river.In two more weekends, the Labor Day holiday will bring one last crush of tourists to the Saco River in Fryeburg. In the meantime, a few troublemakers continued to keep police busy over the Aug. 19 weekend. "We had five people arrested for disorderly conduct at Canal Bridge campground Saturday and one trespasser at Fiddlehead Campground Saturday night," reported Fryeburg Police Chief Wayne Brooking.At Canal Bridge, disorderly conduct resulted in arrests of river users, all from Canton, Mass., Brooking said. Those arrested were Michael Proctor, 24; Nicholas White, 24; Robert Christiano, 25; Michael Copoulos, 26; and Joseph Giuliano, 25.The first call went out at 3 a.m."They were warned for the same offense due to loud noise. A second call came in at 6 a.m. Police spoke to the campground manager," Brooking said.Then, at 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 19, police made arrests."There were accusations that some of them may have been exposing themselves to other campers, but we didn't get any official complaints on that," Brooking said, responding to rumors that the campers were naked. "We didn't see any of that, nor was anyone arrested for that."Rather, the suspects made a nuisance of themselves, according to witnesses."The other campers at the campground weren't too thrilled about the noise," Brooking said.The suspects were transported to Oxford County Jail.Later on Saturday, police arrested a Plymouth, Mass. man for criminal trespass at Fiddlehead Campground.Allyn Horton, 21, was placed under arrest for refusing to leave the privately-owned campground, which offers 239 waterfront sites along over three miles of the Saco River, Brooking reported. Police were called at 9:50 p.m. Saturday to assist for a group that would not leave beach number three at the campground, he said.Brooking reported that the Saco River has experienced a rash of arrests, typically involving "young, college-age kids from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."The Saco River travels 134 miles from New Hampshire's White Mountains to Saco, Maine, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. In New Hampshire, the river flows quickly as it drops 1,515 feet over 45 miles, but the river travels more slowly in Maine, making it a popular destination for canoeists and kayakers.Fryeburg Police Department has two patrol boats and one search-and-rescue airboat. The police department typically sends two officers out in a boat on river patrol, and other officers are available to work privately paid details at campgrounds or canoe landings on weekends.The Fryeburg Police Department, with five full-time officers, including the chief, and four active reserves, has found itself busier than normal on the river, Brooking reported.Still, the situation is vastly improved from years ago when the Saco River earned a reputation as a party destination with constant conflicts and little law enforcement presence, authorities agree. Saco River Recreational Council is paying for extra police officers to watch public beaches and offer a law enforcement presence at the river launch areas.Assistant editor David Carkhuff can be contacted at david@conwaydailysun.com.