PARIS — Questions clouding the Paris Police Department’s future continued last week as town officials met with their Oxford counterparts to discuss a potential merger of the respective departments.

That meeting July 22 followed one with a similar agenda between Paris and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, headquartered in Paris.

According to Paris Town Manager Natalie Andrews, reaching out to neighboring law enforcement agencies is an early step in reassessing its department.

“We have engaged in informal discussions with the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office and the town of Oxford to explore potential alternatives to our current policing model,” Andrews said in an email to the Advertiser Democrat on Wednesday. “These discussions stem from a proactive approach to managing rising costs, ensuring that our community’s needs are met without overburdening taxpayers.”

Andrews, Select Board Vice Chair Matthew Brackett and Budget Committee member Robert Jewell attended the meeting last week. Oxford was represented by Town Manager Adam Garland and Select Board Chair Dana Dillingham.

“They reached out to us to inquire,” Garland said. “We had a very basic discussion about if we would consider it, and they will contact us if they’d like to talk further. 

“If there are opportunities for the towns to work together that would be beneficial to both parties, we will explore it.”

Garland pointed out that cost benefits aside, merging two police departments would require lengthy considerations and negotiations.

At the heart of any potential consolidation is that one community would be required to cede control of its law enforcement body to the other. A combined department under one chief would report to one town manager and select board while the other municipality would no longer have the final word on department operations or decisions.

The Sheriff’s Office provides police coverage to Bethel and Mexico. 

During a community forum organized last May by a group of Paris residents, Oxford County Sheriff Christopher Wainwright said Bethel’s current annual cost per deputy to Oxford County is $168,486.

The town has four dedicated deputies and receives 24-hour coverage. Two deputies work each 12-hour shift. The annual cost for the four is $673,994, confirmed Bethel’s Town Manager Sharon Jackson.

It assigned dedicated deputies to the town of Dixfield five years ago when that department was disbanded, but the agreement ended this year when residents opposed funding it and its Select Board voted to discontinue the service.

Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy James Urquhart confirmed that, in addition to the May forum, Andrews, Select Board Chair Scott McElravy and Vice Chair Matthew Brackett and Budget Committee member Robert Jewell had met with county officials. 

He stressed that disbanding a police department is a major operation not to be undertaken lightly.

“Once you make this decision,” Urquhart said. “It’s nearly impossible, in today’s world, to recreate a whole police department, from the chief on down. Once you pull the trigger there’s no going back.”

Regarding law enforcement service, Paris has experienced a disconnect between taxpayers and the Select Board since last year. 

Former Oxford Police Chief Michael Ward, a veteran of law enforcement for 35 years, was named chief in September 2024 and directed to restructure the department.

He replaced Michael Dailey, who resigned July 1, 2024, after an incident May 6 when an arrestee escaped his custody, leading to a vehicle chase and armed standoff involving three local police departments and Maine State Police. Dailey was placed on administrative leave following the incident and resigned about five weeks later. 

Paris taxpayers chafed at the expense restructuring would require, quashing a proposed 25% increase to the department’s $1.35 million spending plan at the June annual town meeting. Voters finally settled on a budget of $1.15 million.

Morale within the department has suffered due to the perceived lack of community support.

Ward confirmed that Paris K-9 Officer Breagh Pyburn resigned and works for the Rumford Police Department, leaving Paris with no K-9 unit. Detective Sgt. Justin Cummings is also expected to leave the department, Ward said.

“The Paris Police Department has long been a pillar of our community, providing dedicated service and support,” Andrews said. “We appreciate the ongoing backing from our residents, which reinforces our commitment to keeping our town safe.

“It is important to note that this dialogue is not about undermining our local police force, but rather about exploring ideas during tight budget times.”