FARMINGTON -- A $16,000, heavy-duty, off-road utility vehicle and trailer have been purchased by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office with a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to beef up security along the Canadian border.

The 2009 Yamaha Rhino, two-seat, vehicle can travel into the deep woods and reach areas along the border believed to be used by smugglers or drug traffickers, said the program's local coordinator Detective Tom White.

Two all-terrain vehicles were purchased with similar "Operation Stonegarden" grants but policy requires two officers, riding on separate ATVs, to ride together due to the instability of those machines on rough terrain, he said. With the new, more stable Rhino, one officer can go out on an off-trail assignment alone, White said.

Homeland Security, through Operation Stonegarden, will distribute $60 million in grant money to 13 border states this year to purchase equipment and cover overtime pay for local officers to boost the efforts of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents assigned to secure U.S. borders. Maine's share of the federal money this year is $1.5 million, according to the Federal Emergency Management Administration.

Since 2004, Franklin County has received about $50,000 in grants to purchase equipment and another $250,000 for payroll. The Stonegarden account is not part of the county's regular budget.

White said the program has county officers working with agents from the U.S. Border Patrol's Houlton sector within northern Franklin County and one of the assignments is to check the remote entrances along the U.S. International Border for signs of illegal trafficking.

Each week, 12 deputies work 10-hour shifts on Stonegarden patrols. White said the extra 120 hours a week have cut down on property crimes, reduced speeding, truck violations and traffic accidents, and while he could not disclose details of drug investigations, he said the deputies' presence and connections to the communities has been a deterrent.

"We are checking on people, we're walking in to talk to camp owners and while we're there, we can look for wildlife law violators," White said.

"Camp owners are always telling us things, and they are grateful that we're there," he said.

Betty Jespersen - 778-6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com