Residents of the town of Mexico, Maine, expressed concern about losing their local police department after the town's police station closed on Tuesday, WGME reported.

Town leaders are hopeful that the police department, which struggled with officer shortages for a year and a half before it was closed, will eventually be fully operational as it works to hire a new police force, news outlets reported. Reported.

According to the media, the immediate crisis began with the resignation of three Mexican police officers.

“The other three were working long hours,” Mexican police records manager James Theriault told the outlet. “The public is worried, but I don't blame them,” he added.

“I think that's wrong,” town resident Wayne McConnell told the outlet. (Related article: Will police answer my calls? 'Budget cuts' investigation reveals plight of Austin residents)

Theriault noted that the town and county have a “high crime rate,” WGME reported. Town officials have been tasked with rebuilding the police department within a year, the outlet noted. In the meantime, the Oxford County Sheriff's Office is in charge of policing the town, the outlet reported.

“It's very difficult,” Tearow told the outlet about his mission. “I think we will come out of this safely.”

According to the outlet, county officials said the Oxford County Sheriff's Office has hired three new deputies, bringing its staffing to nearly full capacity. Two of the newcomers are former police officers from Mexico, according to the outlet. The law enforcement agency now has 24 deputies tasked with covering 2,000 square miles, according to WGME.

The Mexican town is home to 2,700 residents, according to WGME.

The Daily Caller has reached out to both the Oxford County Sheriff's Office and Mexico City Hall for comment, but neither office has yet responded.