PARIS — The Select Board on Monday authorized Town Manager Natalie Andrews to explore options for alternative and less expensive methods of providing law enforcement.

A restructuring of the Police Department, which will include three management positions at the top, has outraged some residents, who are balking at the 25% budget increase for policing. Much of the increase is due to wages for the approximately 12-member department

The $1.35 million police budget will be voted on at the town meeting in June.

The new rank structure features a chief, captain and lieutenant, followed by one or two corporals, a detective/sergeant, four patrolmen, one or two school resource officers and an administrative assistant.

Chief Michael Ward has said the changes would give the department more flexibility to investigate crimes and also respond to breaking incidents much quicker instead of waiting for an officer to become available.

But while some residents have expressed skepticism that the changes would actually reduce crime, most who spoke during Monday’s board meeting thought it would cost more than taxpayers could afford.

“I’m not in favor of disbanding the Police Department, but I don’t agree with the increase,” one resident said.

“If we’re going to have an open an objective and unbiased look at something, we need to do that,” resident Troy Ripley said. “The narrative that we want to dissolve the Police Department is misleading. Everyone has said we want adequate, appropriate and affordable law enforcement for our town.”

“Adequate law enforcement for the needs of our citizenry, we should be open to that,” he added.

The discussion has been ongoing for about a month as town officials finalize the proposed budget. A few have taken it upon themselves to approach the county and ask what it would cost to have the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department take over policing duties for the town.

Select Board Chairman Scott McElravy called the notion of handing police duties over to the county “stupid,” saying he did not believe the county could provide the needed resources to everyone’s satisfaction. He did agree that that it was a good idea to have the town manager look into options, which would include the county.

“We started looking at this budget the first of March,” McElravy said. “The plan was devised to create an effective, efficient Police Department. I think it’s a good plan. I think it’s going to work. I think it’s too late now to just jump ship and start looking around to find something else. I think what we need to do is to look at all the options available. But I don’t think we can do it for this year. I feel it wouldn’t make sense to do that, but I do believe we have to look at everything because there are legitimate concerns about the cost.”

After hearing from residents, the board unanimously agreed to have Andrews look into possible options. She is expected to talk to Norway and Oxford town officials about possible collaboration, as well as Oxford County.

Several years ago, voters rejected an attempt to combine the police departments of Norway and Paris.

The board gave Andrews three t0 six months to study the issue, which means the $1.35 million police budget will be decided by voters at June’s town meeting.