PARIS - Aiming to achieve greater efficiency, several law enforcement authorities met Wednesday to discuss a call-sharing proposal between the Oxford County Sheriff's Office and Maine State Police.

The Sheriff's Office and state police patrol four zones in the county, the largest of which stretches from Rumford to the Canadian border. Each agency handles two zones, and the coverage rotates from month to month.

"I think the biggest problem is that you're in a group of towns for a month, and then you leave that group of towns, and your obligation is in another set of towns, which could be some distance away," said state police Lt. Walter Grzyb. "It doesn't allow you to go back and do follow-up work."

Under the new plan, the county would be split into three zones. Each zone would have both a deputy and a trooper working. Rotation would occur every week, but would determine which agency would be the primary responder to calls in the zone.

While the other department will respond if needed, the weeks in which they are not the primary responder will allow them to catch up on follow-up investigations, paperwork and other tasks.

Chief Deputy Dane Tripp of the Sheriff's Office said the current system has been operating since 1998.

"The system that's in place now doesn't work," he said.

Tripp said the plan is based on a similar one, known as a resource coordination agreement, in Penobscot County. He said the system allows for a faster response time by having the officers cover different areas of the zones. The Sheriff's Office may also assist the state police with domestic violence investigations.

"I think the public will be much better served in this system," said Grzyb.

The meeting was held at the Regional Communications Center. Jim Miclon, head of the dispatch center, said dispatchers assign calls to officers based on the zone they're covering. He said "business as usual" will continue under the new plan.

"In the long run, it won't affect us much," Miclon said.

Another meeting is scheduled for Jan. 16. Tripp said he hoped the new system will be operational by the first of February.