NORWAY – Police Chief Robert Federico said it is more cost efficient to hire a police officer from another town and pay the sender’s town back for a portion of his or her training than for Norway to pay to train a new officer.

“We’re way better off to buy someone out than to send someone (for training,)” Federico explained in an interview Friday.

Despite a $20,657 overdraft by the Norway Police Department caused by the training costs of a new officer hired from Bethel in December, Federico said Friday the department actually came in under their budget of $488,664 at the end of the fiscal fiscal year June 30.

He said the original appropriation did not include the unexpected cost of hiring a new officer. Because the department was able to hire a second year trained officer they saved about $6,000 in training costs.

According to Federico, when an untrained officer is hired by Norway, he or she must be sent to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro for 18 weeks of state-mandated basic law enforcement training while the town pays that officer for a 40-hour work week. Additionally, the town is responsible for paying for the officer’s equipment that is often different than what he or she will use in Norway and for other expenses such as overtime for existing officers because of the temporary reduced work force.

In this case, the town hired Officer Jeff Campbell, a Bethel police officer, in mid-December 2009, the beginning of his second year after training. That made Norway responsible for the pro-rated costs for a second year officer, which Federico said was around $30,000.

Although no one was available Friday at the Academy to confirm the exact figures for 2010 because of a state shutdown day, Federico said the 2007 rates which he had available for a first year training was $28,215.

The rates are pro-rated on a five-year basis and are reduced each year, he said. For example, in 2007, a second year training cost was $22,572, third year, $16,929, fourth year $11,286 and fifth year $5,643. After the fifth year there is no payback to the sending community.

Federico said the amounts are set by the state and after the fifth year, the officer essentially becomes a “free agent.”

Norway also receives money for officers they send out. For example, when Norway lost an officer to Falmouth, that town paid Norway about $20,000 for the officer’s training.

“It really costs quite a lot more (to hire a new officer with no training.) But lots of departments don’t have enough money to buy someone out,” he said.

The combined overdrafts of the Police Department and five others is $103,844. The amounts includes $64,590 from the General Assistance fund for qualifying applicants that were not anticipated.

The overdrafts must be authorized by voters at an Aug. 19 special town meeting.

Town Manager David Holt said despite the overdrafts in police, general assistance, animal control, administration, solid waste and community development budgets, the town actually spent less than it appropriated by $35,905 in the fiscal year that ended June 30.

The special town meeting gets under way at 7 p.m. in the municipal building on Danforth Street.

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