Jay board approves statewide police arrest powers for Police Department

JAY — The Select Board on Monday approved statewide arrest powers for Jay Police Department.

The board has the authority to grant officers additional powers, with some caveats, to make arrests outside the town boundaries, according to a letter from Chief Richard Caton IV to Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere.

Many municipalities like Farmington have enacted the authority to have statewide arrest powers.

Caton recommended the board grant Jay’s department this authority.

Enacting state law would clearly define the Jay police authority outside of its jurisdiction and give “us tort and immunity liability protection when we do take action,” Caton wrote.

“In other words, enacting this authority would be much ‘cleaner’ than the current system we are working under,” he said.

The Select Board granted statewide arrest powers to three police officers in 2013: the late Police Chief Larry White Sr., Detective Richard Caton IV, and officer Mike Mejia. The latter is a deputy with the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office in Auburn. White died in October 2014 from cancer.

“Currently, Jay Police Department is part of the Franklin County and Androscoggin County Area Mutual Aid agreement, which allows us to assist during an emergency and other events where additional resources are needed by neighboring agencies,” Caton wrote.

The authority is for full-time academy certified police officers and they will be trained on what the statewide arrest powers mean. There is one officer that won’t have the statewide arrest powers until he attends Maine Criminal Justice Academy and graduates, Caton said.

In other business, the board approved donating one-third the expense of liability insurance for the Memorial Day Parade. It is contingent on Livermore and Livermore Falls contributing a third of the amount each.

“I think it is a good event that I like to support, but (the cost) should be split equally,” Selectperson Lee Ann Delassandro said.

The last time a Memorial Day Parade was held, the cost of liability insurance was $900, according to a letter from Ron Morin, vice commander of the American Legion George Bunten Post 10 in Livermore Falls. The cost is expected to be upward of to $1,200 in the coming year, he wrote.

The board also granted permission to the Spruce Mountain Ski Club Board to have the house on the ski area property torn down. The ski area and buildings are owned by Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls. The club owns the equipment and operates the slope.

Livermore and Livermore Falls boards will also be asked for their permission.

“The house is in terrible condition and currently has no water, no heat and is in need of a roof,” according to Michele Coates of the club. The kitchen ceiling is caving in, she wrote in an email to the boards.

Ben Guild of Livermore who is also on the board, had asked the Livermore Code Enforcement Officer Terry Pinkham about demolition of the house and it can be buried in the foundation hole, Coates said. Guild also has access to an excavator starting in the middle of May so the volunteers could do the work themselves.