AUBURN – The city of Lewiston and two towns have requested proposals for police services from the Sheriff’s Department.

County commissioners received the letters Wednesday stating that they could lead to cost-saving regionalization efforts, but a lengthy study would be necessary if services are provided to a city.

Lewiston City Administrator James Bennett requested a proposal for police services in a letter to Sheriff Ronald Gagnon on Nov. 19. Bennett outlined several requirements.

“We have an outstanding police department,” Bennett wrote, “and the citizens of Lewiston have come to expect that level of service from their police department.”

Bennett said he was asked to explore the issue when the topic of regionalization was visited during recent budget meetings.

Police and city officials stressed that the proposals at this point are exploratory. No one expects Lewiston police to be wearing county browns any time soon, they said.

“I don’t think this is something that will happen while I’m still here,” said Lewiston police Chief William Welch. “Maybe down the road. We just owe it to taxpayers to look into it.”

City officials and others in Lewiston and Auburn have also been looking into the feasibility of combining services in those cities as a cost-cutting measure.

Lisbon Town Manager Curtis Lunt also signed a letter to Gagnon on behalf of the Board of Selectmen, asking for a written proposal for police services. “Both the town and the county have a responsibility to advance regionalization and save taxpayers expenses,” Lunt wrote.

The county has also received a request for a proposal from Mechanic Falls.

Other towns may make similar requests for proposals, according to Commissioner Patience Johnson.

The commission voted to respond to all of the letters with a written statement that the commission supports regionalization.

Sheriff’s Capt. Raymond Lafrance said it would be necessary to determine future wage scales and the particulars of a future collective bargaining contract before the Sheriff’s Department could determine costs of services.

“It’s been done in other states and it’s worked,” said Commission Chairman Elmer Berry.

He said there is $2 million in state grant funding in $250,000 increments available to local governments for regionalization projects.

“If we’re looking at something as complex as combining the cities with the county that’s more complex,” Johnson said.

“It takes a long time to do that kind of study. It should not be done by people from Lewiston, Auburn or any other towns around here,” Berry said.

The county is not interested in taking apart existing law enforcement agencies, but the commission is interested in the potential of regional efforts to save taxpayers money.

Currently, the county provides police services for Poland and other towns and emergency dispatching services to 11 towns.

Lewiston’s requirements as listed by Bennett include a full-time 24-hour patrol division with eight to 12 officers working each shift, the capacity to handle more than 40,000 calls for service annually, a fully staffed criminal investigations division trained and certified to handle major crimes, a youth and family services division, a selective enforcement team to address problems with drugs, vice and other specialized enforcement, at least four officers assigned to the MDEA and other task forces, a minimum of two certified forensic computer examiners, two polygraph examiners, a support services division, a certified crime analyst and a certified eight-member hazmat response team.

Gov. John E. Baldacci and numerous state and local officials have touted regionalization efforts. Merged municipal law enforcement agencies and countywide police departments have been in place for decades in several areas outside Maine, including several counties in Maryland and Clark County, Nevada, which includes Las Vegas.