SIDEBAR

I know if I call the Paris Police Department, within 5 or 10 minutes at the most, there will be somebody responding to me. That means a lot to me and it’s been that way for years.

Joe Bracy

Paris resident

I think we put together a fair proposal that will give you good coverage.

Sheriff Wayne Gallant 

Oxford County Sheriff’s Office

 

 

PARIS – This go around, law enforcement officials attended the Tuesday, May 17 police coverage forum and were able to answer questions from residents – many of which centered around mutual aid – about the future of policing in town.

The second police coverage forum was held at the Paris Fire Station, where roughly 25 people showed up.

A little less than a year ago selectmen began looking at cutting $500,000 from municipal spending after residents asked for tax relief. One of the options the board explored is getting rid of the Paris Police Department and contracting with Oxford County Sheriff’s Department.

When voters head to the polls on Tuesday, June 14, they will decide via secret ballot whether to keep the department or contract with the sheriff. Whatever their decision, voters will again address this issue as part of fiscal 2017’s budget at the Saturday, June 18 annual town meeting.

As the June 14 vote approaches, Norway Police Chief Rob Federico and Oxford Police Chief Jonathan Tibbetts both said they’d have to think hard about sending one of their officers to Paris if there wasn’t one in town.

“They both indicate they will respond to mutual aid calls in the town of Paris only after there is a person from the sheriff’s department on site,” Interim Town Manager Sawin Millett told the audience about if Paris does disband its police department and contracts with the Sheriff.

Norway, Paris and Oxford have a mutual aid agreement.

Sheriff Wayne Gallant who – along with Chief Deputy Hart Daley and then-Paris Interim Police Chief weren’t in attendance the first forum earlier in May – agreed to attend Tuesday’s meeting to discuss mutual aid.

On Tuesday, Gallant, Daley and Paris Interim Police Chief Hartley “Skip” Mowatt were at the forum. During his opening remarks, Gallant said he was approached by town officials about a contract and never intended to take over the Paris Police Department.

Mowatt said he sat down with the remaining personnel on Monday, May 16 and they said they were in it for the long haul. 

“When we got hired here this was our career for most of us,” he said, noting the years of service from the remaining officers in the department. “That is what we would like is to continue our careers for this town, for the town of Paris.”

Resident Pete Kilgore asked what the definition of what mutual aid was and when and when not it would be provided by the sheriff’s department.

“All mutual aid under state law, to engage in mutual aid, an agency has to request that assistance to us. If any agency calls from within Oxford County or even outside of Oxford County, we will respond and provide assistance to them,” Daley answered.

“I can’t really think of a time for us as an agency we would not provide mutual aid to an agency or a town. … We will respond under pretty much any circumstances if requested.”

Some people spoke for keeping the Police Department and others wanted to contract law enforcement services out.

Joe Bracy said he’s been a resident since he was in his late teens and he often sees Paris Police patrol near his rural home on Brett Hill Road but doesn’t see sheriff’s deputies.

“I’ve dealt with the Paris Police Department my whole life starting since it … was a one-man operation [to] evolved to what it is today,” Bracy said. “I know if I call the Paris Police Department, within 5 or 10 minutes at the most, there will be somebody responding to me. That means a lot to me and it’s been that way for years.”

One resident – who is in favor of keeping the police department – worried about stability of the department, given Interim Police Chief Jeff Lange and Detective Richard Belanger left the department for other jobs and former Police Chief Michael Madden left in September 2015. 

Sarah Glynn says she and the rest of the town needs to face the fiscal reality in Paris, as she and others say people can no longer afford to live in town because of high taxes.

“We need to look, as a town, ways we can get services that we need at less of a cost to the taxpayer. This is what it’s about,” she said about contracting with the sheriff’s office.

Under the proposed sheriff’s contract, with the three deputies there will be a six-hour patrol coverage gap, but still 24-hour coverage. Those six hours would be on call, which means dispatch would have to call an off duty, on call deputy at home to send to the scene. Some residents worried about the gap and Gallant confirmed his department could not provide 24-patrol coverage with only three deputies – he said four are needed.

“We looked at the call volume in Paris. Historically there are fewer calls between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m.,” Daley said about the proposed overnight patrol gap. “It is truly up to the citizens of Paris to decide when they want police coverage.”

Gallant noted he would never put together a proposal that would put any of his deputies at risk.

“I think we put together a fair proposal that will give you good coverage,” he said to Paris residents and stakeholders in attendance.

Near the end of the forum, selectmen Chairman Mike Risica came out publicly in support of the Paris Police Department.

“They’ve done their job, they’ve cut the budget like we’ve asked them to,” he said. “It’s time to stop this.”

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Paris Police Department

• Fiscal 2017 budget now $514,131 due to retirement payments 

• $91,000 cut from current budget

• 24/7 patrol coverage

• Reduction of one position

• 4 patrol officers

• 1 detective/sergeant

• 1 chief

• 1 administrative assistant

• 5 part-time patrol officers

• Hopes to bring back one school resource officer/sergeant

Potential Payout

7 employees

$15,635 total vacation payout 

$26,322 unemployment insurance increase

$41,957 total potential payout

Oxford County Sheriff’s Office

• First-year contract $363,064

• Second year contract $324,500

• 24/7 coverage, not 24/7 patrol coverage

• On-call coverage for a six-hour gap

• 3 deputies dedicated to Paris

• Detective services split in Paris

• Cruisers included in contract

Entire Sheriff’s Office

• Covers 28 towns without police departments
• 19 patrol deputies
• 5 detectives
• 5 part-time deputies
• 1 sheriff
• 1 chief deputy