Two Paris police officers resign

PARIS — Two police officers have tendered their resignations to take jobs in neighboring towns.

Police Chief David Verrier said 12-year veteran Detective Zane Loper is going to the Oxford Police Department. Officer Tim Gamache, who has been on the force three years, is taking a job with the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office and will serve as a deputy in Poland.

Loper, who serves as a part-time shared drug enforcement officer with the town of Oxford will remain with Paris in that capacity until July 1, when the shared position will end.

“Tim has been interested in Poland for a long time,” Verrier said.

He said Loper indicated Oxford might give him new challenges with the opening of the Oxford Casino and the end of his part-time position as a shared drug enforcement officer.

Oxford Police Chief John Tibbetts said that he looks forward to having Loper on the force and believes his experience will be an asset as the town grows in coming years.

"He's a highly-qualified, experienced officer and I think he's going to bring his experience with him," Tibbetts said.

He said that Loper has had an application in with Oxford since the department began the hiring process in late April.

Gamache served five-and-a-half years with the Mechanic Falls Police Department and a year as a part-time deputy in the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office. He graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in 2004.

Verrier said he will make sure the new officers he hires are “a good fit” with the town and the department.

"I'll take my time to find the right candidate. I won't settle," he said.

Although Verrier declined to comment on speculation that either officer was leaving the force because of discussions about merging Norway and Paris departments, Loper had publicly said recently that he would consider leaving the force if the merger was approved.

Verrier said he still believes merging is a good idea. It will not cause a reduction in force, he said.

Gamache was paid $18.59 an hour and Loper was being paid $21.59 an hour.

The new hires will have their contract negotiated and will not be paid at that rate, Verrier said. There are currently five full-time and three part-time officers on the force.

While hiring new police officers is tough across the state and can be costly because of training, Verrier said he has the money in his training budget should he receive a good candidate that needs additional training.

Police departments across the state also have an agreement to repay the sponsor town for a percentage of the training costs of a new hire within five years of the officer's move to another department.

Verrier is accepting applications for a full-time and a part-time police officer. Minimum requirements include a high school diploma or equivalency and a valid driver's license.

The candidate must have attained a minimum score of 45 on the Maine Criminal Justice Academy Alert Test and have passed the Maine Criminal Justice physical agility test entrance standards.