PARIS – A mutual aid pact between Norway, Oxford and Paris police departments is sometimes not enough when dealing with crime.

However, the expanded jurisdiction of police here has enabled them to assist other agencies more readily and opens other avenues of aid, Sgt. Mike Dailey said.

He said the mutual aid pact does not apply to motor vehicle laws, just criminal laws.

Paris officials recognized the need to expand the police’s jurisdiction, and as a result the department is the first in the area to take advantage of an amendment to expanding jurisdiction about two years ago.

The amendment to state law allows police to make nonwarrant arrests outside Paris, as long as selectmen approve of the expanded jurisdicton.

“As soon as that came out, we took it to the Board of Selectmen,” Town Manager Steve McAllister said. He said at that time Paris police were embroiled in the investigation of a rash of burglaries.

McAllister said some of the investigations led police to Poland and Auburn. Without expanded jurisdiction Paris police could not arrest those outside their town if the investigation called for an immediate action.

Police in Norway, Paris and Oxford have a mutual aid agreement by which they can work in each other’s towns as long as their help was requested.

Dailey said sometimes police had to act immediately to be effective.

“By no means does Paris want to do law enforcement in other communities,” McAllister said. “This gives Paris police flexibility and the power to respond to emergency situations, if need be, outside Paris.”

He said police would still make a courtesy call to the agency responsible for law enforcement in an area of arrest. With the expanded jurisdiction, police do not have to call before taking such action.

To make this type of an arrest, the officer must be working full time and have graduated from the state police academy.

[email protected]