Topsham Police Launch Online At-Risk Resident Registry and Vacation Watch

Topsham Police Department rolled out two online programs this month, launching an At‑Risk Resident registry and a Vacation Watch form accessible on the department website. Chief Marc Hagan demonstrated the Vacation Watch form on the site and walked through the fields residents fill in before leaving town: address, dates they will be away, and “other key details” so officers can provide courtesy checks when possible.

The vacation form asks residents whether they are leaving lights on and collects return dates; Chief Hagan used the phrasing “When you’re leaving, when you’re returning, are you leaving any lights on?” after demonstrating the page. Hagan said the department will send email follow-ups after a check: “We'll send you an email after we check your housing telling you it's all set.” Officers will perform those checks during routine patrols “as staffing allows,” a staffing caveat repeated by department officials.

Topsham’s At‑Risk Resident registry is voluntary and lets a person or loved ones submit identifying information, emergency contacts, medical conditions and medications, special needs, a photo, and notes on typical habits or places the person frequents. The department stores the information digitally so officers have “quick access in urgent situations,” and Detective Whitney Burns said the program “could make a significant difference, especially when someone is found wandering without identification.”

Chief Hagan framed the At‑Risk registry as tailored to Topsham’s demographics, saying, “We’re an older state, and on top of that, Topsham itself is an older community.” He also invoked urgency in missing-person responses: “Time isn’t on our side usually when something happens. We want to find somebody as soon as possible.” Hagan additionally described the rollout as operationally light for the department because it ties into the software the department already uses: “It's a relatively low uh lift for us because we've got the app. People go ahead and put the information on there. We're not doing a whole lot to be honest.”

Both systems are provided by Frontline Public Safety Solutions, the same vendor that supplies Topsham Police’s field training software and the department app integration noted by Hagan. Enrollment for both programs is via online forms on the Topsham Police website; Hagan demonstrated the vacation form during the department’s online demonstration.

Public materials and media about the rollout include a video dated Feb. 17, 2026 that shows the website demonstration; supplied video metadata listed 44 views and a channel subscriber count of 156,000. That video’s description contained transcription errors such as “Toppo” and a stray reference to “Thompson Police Department,” which appear to be typos rather than changes to the agency name used throughout the rollout.

City materials announcing the programs do not provide some operational specifics: the exact launch date beyond relative references, the number of registrants so far, how often a registered property will be checked, or detailed data-security, retention, and access-control policies for At‑Risk records. Topsham Police have made both tools available online and described the expected benefits, quicker identification in emergencies and courtesy property checks, while leaving several technical and privacy details to be clarified as the programs move into regular use.