Wayne Gallant, chief of the Wilton Police Department

Age: 57

Hometown: Rumford

Education:

• Earned an associate of science degree in criminal justice with a high distinction from the University of Maine at Augusta

• Graduate of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy

Work experience:

• 2005 to present: Wilton chief of police

• Spent 25 years as an officer with the Rumford Police Department. From 1988 to 2004, he held administrative positions of detective and lieutenant.

• Was the first DARE officer in Oxford, Androscoggin and Franklin counties

• Worked for one year as a part-time reserve officer at the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department

• A U.S. Army Vietnam veteran

Family:

• Not married. Has three sons, all attending the University of Maine

Activities:

• Hiking, kayaking

Key goals:

• Work closely with the drug enforcement agency to enforce drug laws, and re-establish the Oxford County Drug Task Force

• Work with deputies to change administrative procedures that “build excellence in departmental operations, and trust within the department.”

• Create a multi-agency family violence task force

• Welcome new programs protecting seniors

• Pursue grant money so existing programs can continue

Christopher Wainwright, chief deputy, Oxford County Sheriff’s Department

Age: 35

Hometown: Canton

Education:

• FBI National Academy graduate

• Spent six years in the U.S. Army Reserve

Work experience:

• Worked for the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department since 1990. He started as a reserve officer, then as a deputy for 16 years. He was promoted to sergeant, then to lieutenant in charge of road patrol. In September, he was appointed as chief deputy. He took a six-month tour of duty in Kosovo.

• An instructor at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy

• Served as a Canton selectman for six years

Family:

• Married to Erin; three children, Ellen, 10; Jonathan, 7, and Nathaniel, newborn.

Activities:

• Fishing, hunting

Key goals:

• Pursuing state and federal grant dollars to ease the burden on property taxpayers

• Continue to place emphasis on rural patrols

• Expand the prisoner public works program

• Create a community warning and awareness program to help people and officers track and identify registered sex offenders

• Increase public awareness to reduce family violence

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