PARIS — The Oxford County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday morning to allow the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office to buy two utility terrain vehicles and a trailer for use with the agency’s Stonegarden detail.

Operation Stonegarden is a federally funded border security enhancement program in which deputies help the U.S. Border Patrol monitor the boundary between Maine and Canada, according to the Maine Information and Analysis Center.

Chief Deputy Christopher Wainwright told commissioners both UTVs would have six-year, bumper-to-bumper warranties, and that the federal government would cover up to $340 a year in gasoline.

“I don’t anticipate us using any more than $20 or $40 a year in gas for the UTVs,” Wainwright said.

He said that the UTVs would be available to the Stonegarden detail, and that the U.S. Border Patrol, the Maine Warden Service and the Maine State Police would have access to them.

Wainwright said $20,000 in the Sheriff’s Office budget will be used to buy the UTVs.

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In other matters, Sheriff James Theriault said Maj. James Urquhart, a senior adviser to the sheriff, has been updating countywide police procedure policies and departmental policies.

Urquhart was hired by the Oxford County commissioners to serve as a consultant to Theriault, help him update policies and look over how the sheriff’s department would operate in the wake of Wayne Gallant’s stepping down as sheriff last year after facing sexual harassment allegations.

“(Urquhart) updated the 12 mandated police procedure policies and delivered them to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy,” Theriault said. “The last time they were updated was in 2011.”

Theriault said Urquhart was also “working on our department policies,” which should be ready in “a couple of weeks.”

“We’re putting all of them together in a three-ring binder and making sure every employee gets one,” Theriault said. “This way, there can be no questions about any of these policies.”

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net


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