MEXICO – In the 13 years that Jim Theriault has been Mexico’s police chief, his department has been in a tiny office in the municipal building, then in two tiny offices in the basement of the town’s library.
Now, the department has lots of room – room for training, room for storing evidence and even more room for conducting investigative interviews.
The department has been moving into three former classrooms in the Mexico Recreation Center for the past couple of weeks. On Friday, the move was complete.
“We’ve always gone to Rumford or South Paris for training before,” said Theriault, “Now we can have it here and invite others,”
The new Mexico Police Department site includes a chief’s office, a training room, a patrol room where members of the public may talk with officers, a smaller evidence room and a storage closet.
Theriault estimated the cost of the move and for installing computers and other electronic equipment at less than $2,000, with part of the money coming from the Recreation Center renovation budget and part from the Police Department. That’s because all of the painting and general remodeling has been done by the four officers on their days off and by their wives or girlfriends.
Theriault built the 12-foot reception counter in the complaint department, and his wife, among others, helped paint the walls.
Sgt. Roy Hodsdon was busy organizing the counter Friday afternoon, while computer and Internet experts were hooking up all the electronic apparatus.
Theriault said he and Recreation Director Greg Arsenault had talked about the Police Department’s moving into the Recreation Center for at least a couple of years. When SAD 43’s alternative education program moved out and Mexico Public Library wanted more space for offices, the time seemed right, he said.
People can get to the complaint desk from Mitchell Street. Signs that had pointed people to the department’s former location will soon point them to the Recreation Center. The Mexico Police Department sign will also be erected above the exterior door.
Theriault sees only one more move for his department.
“The next will be into a regional public safety facility somewhere down the line,” he said.
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