PARIS — In the past two weeks, four new reserve police officers have been sworn in while the Police Department contemplates reassigning one of its veteran officers.

In a statement released Tuesday, police Chief Michael Madden said full-time Rumford police officers Lawrence Winson and Brad Gallant, and longtime Hebron Academy teacher Gino Valeriani were sworn in as part-time officers Monday.

Oxford County Jail officer Todd Hussey was brought on as a reserve officer two weeks ago, Madden said.

The new hires bring the department’s reserve force to seven officers, a far cry from six months ago when Paris struggled to put enough patrol officers on the road.

To accompany the new hires, Madden said the department is considering  reassigning Sgt. Hartley “Skip” Mowatt from school resource officer at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School to patrol supervisor. 

“The restructuring and new hires are necessary to reduce overtime, increase patrol visibility and minimize the town’s liability by having supervisors more closely monitor patrol activities,” Madden said in the release.

According to the terms of its contract with the Police Department, the Oxford Hills School District reimburses the town $40,000 annually for the school resource officer. Madden said no decision has been made, and the department is still discussing the idea with school officials.

The department has posted a job internally for officer Tim Libby’s position. He stepped down abruptly in late January, two weeks into a certification course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro. If no officers are hired from within the department, the position will be posted publicly. 

Madden said he believed the department has made “great strides” in improving its investigative division, updating important department policies and becoming more active with community groups and regional organizations such as the Oxford County Sexual Assault Response Team and Domestic Task Force.

pmcguire@sunjournal.com

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