BETHEL — Selectmen decided to take the next step Monday to possibly switch to police coverage from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office. And neighboring Newry may also become part of the plan.

Sheriff Wayne Gallant provided a proposal that showed that virtual 24-hour/seven-day-a-week coverage could be provided for about $295,000 a year for the first three years. The figure would likely rise about 3 percent a year.

The most recent Bethel Police Department budget is about $313,000 annually, Town Manager Jim Doar said.

Doar said selectmen from Newry, along with the Bethel Budget Committee, were also invited to Monday’s meeting to learn whether police coverage for both towns might make sense.

Gallant said the proposed annual budget would provide full-time coverage, and virtually the same amount of patrols. A few hours would likely not have a deputy on duty.

He said the town would also have access to the sheriff, chief deputy and three full-time detectives, as well as all paperwork, payroll and insurance processed by the Sheriff’s Office. Also, a sheriff’s deputy presence would likely be established somewhere in town, such as the town office, Rescue Barn or former National Forest Service building.

Three deputies would be hired to provide coverage for Bethel.

Chief Deputy Dane Tripp said that a fourth deputy, at an additional cost, would likely be hired if Newry joins with Bethel to contract with the Sheriff’s Office for police coverage.

A cost-sharing arrangement would then be worked out.

Newry selectmen and Bethel selectmen plan to meet again next month to further discuss the possibility of seeking a joint contract with the Sheriff’s Office. But first, Newry selectmen and the town’s administrator, Loretta Powers, plan to meet with the Sheriff’s Office to discuss the number of calls made from their town and when they most often come in. The Maine State Police also patrol Newry so those numbers must also be factored into the study.

“It’s exciting to think about a regional opportunity,” Newry Selectman Steve Wight said.

He said that many of the incidents that call for police response in Bethel come from Newry. The Sunday River Ski Resort is located in Newry, and in recent months, a number of break-ins to condominiums have been reported.

Bethel Selectman Dennis Doyon said the two boards talked about a similar sharing of services several years ago.

Now, with the position of Bethel police chief vacant for the past couple of months, talks are resuming.

Gallant said the Sheriff’s Office has only one contracted service in Oxford County. That is for Buckfield that pays the county $18,500 annually to provide special details. The Sheriff’s Office does not contract with any other town, although several in recent years have asked for estimated costs for coverage.

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