Norway PD responds to aid with casino calls

NORWAY — The number of calls for assistance at the Oxford Casino Norway officers receive is surprisingly low, but even that small number is unnecessary, reported Norway Police Chief Robert Federico at the July 19 selectboard meeting.

He told selectmen that while Norway has a mutual aid agreement with Oxford, it is not benefiting financially from the Oxford Casino's operations. 

Town Manager David Holt said he would like to see a percentage of the revenues Oxford receives from the casino put toward additional police protection. 

"Oxford County [Sheriff's Department] gets revenue from the casino, and they haven't been called," said Holt. 

Federico backed up Holt's argument, saying that the Sheriff's Department, rather than Norway PD, should respond to casino calls.

"It ... would seem logical to me that, that might be the first choice for assistance, because they [Oxford County Sheriff] see some financial gain from the casino being there, whereas Norway and Paris don't," said Federico.

"It appears, in each case that an Oxford officer was still there. It wasn't a matter of, they were busy with something else; it was a matter of them needing another person to help them with those calls," said Federico. 

He told selectman that, since June 6, the day after the Oxford Casino opened, that the Oxford Police Department has responded to complaints at the casino 25 times. 

Of those 25 calls, he said, Oxford has requested assistance from other agencies seven times – Norway was requested three times, Paris twice, Poland once and Mechanic Falls once, he reported.  

"We are just monitoring the situation to make sure it's not getting out of control, because we've been talking quite a while about the whole purpose of discussing merging with Paris, to keep police officers here [in Norway] to respond to calls in the town of Norway in a timely manner," Federico explained. 

Board chair Russ Newcomb said he worried that the police department would receive a serious call in North Norway but wouldn't respond in time because they were assisting Oxford with casino calls. 

Federico said that, while he realizes the Oxford Casino is a straight shot down Route 26, it is at the furthest end of Oxford. In addition, if the call involves an arrest, the Norway officer on duty could be unavailable for other calls for up to two hours. 

Federico told selectmen that Norway Police would be monitoring the situation and would let the board of selectmen know of any changes regarding casino calls.