Paris police to be audited

PARIS —  The Maine Chiefs of Police Association will conduct an independent audit of the Paris Police Department, authorized by the board of selectmen in a unanimous vote October 9.

"That will be a first," remarked Selectman Gerry Kilgore.

Vice-Chair Bob Kirchherr said the audit was similar to peer evaluation conducted in other industries.

"It's good for us, it's good for the police department, it's good for the town and I think we'll all benefit from it," he said.

"It's being done by professionals who work in the field and who are aware of all the issues that commonly occur in a police department, so I'm looking forward to having them do this."

The board also approved a budget of not more than $6,000 for the audit.

Reached Wednesday, Paris Police Chief David Verrier said he had previously discussed the matter with selectmen and welcomed the audit.

He said the Chief's Association audits were commonly used across the state –  the Association will conduct a thorough assessment of policy and procedures, daily operations, patrol functions and management in the department.

"I think it's a good idea, we can always learn," Verrier said.

"It's a training device, more or less."

Accusations of improper conduct have been lobbed against Verrier, including a letter of complaint by former officer William Cook, who accused the chief of using his authority to force out officers who disagreed with him.

According to Verrier, an investigation into the charges detailed in the letter, filed with former Town Manager Phil Tarr in March, turned up no evidence of wrongdoing.

Following the meeting, Wessels implied the audit was not necessarily a direct result of the complaint, but rather a chance to make sure the town had the best police department it could.

"Really, all we are looking to do is improve our police department and make it one of the best," he said.