Jamison, Little question new police officers

PARIS — Claiming concern about the suitability and training cost of new Paris Police officers, Janet Jamison and Rick Little once again went after the Paris Police Department Monday at the Paris selectboard meeting.

Jamison, referencing an article in the Advertiser Democrat about the new officers, questioned the hiring of Alan Carr, who worked for Bethel PD before the town contracted with the Sheriff's Department.

"I don't understand why these people are being hired if another town got rid of them to get the Sheriff's Deparment," she said.

Jamison also questioned why the town was paying to put Harry Sims, who has worked for Paris PD off and on since 1993, through the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

"Why hasn't he been certified before? I think that's a question that you people might want to ask," Jamison said.

Little, citing the Advertiser Democrat, asked whether the town had budgeted to send either Sims or Nicholas Gilbert to the academy in January, the date given in the newspaper. He also asked how much training would cost the town.

Interim Treasurer Marjorie Risica told Little that Police Chief David Verrier had postponed the date to July or August, into the next fiscal year. She said the training cost was around $30,000 per officer.