PARIS — Six years ago, when Sheriff Wayne Gallant was sworn into office, he gave Dane Tripp a gift — a chief deputy’s badge. On Tuesday, in front of the dozens of deputies, police officers, friends, family, county employees, commissioners and other well-wishers, Gallant gave Tripp another badge so he could identify himself as a retired Oxford County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy.

Capt. Hart Daley of the Sheriff’s Office gave him a Sig Sauer handgun to replace his service weapon, and said retired police never fully retire, referencing the work of retired police on the scene at the recent Colorado shootings.

Gallant said he’d originally planned to hold Tripp’s farewell lunch in the smaller probate court, but moved it up to the Superior Court to handle the expected crowds. It was a good thing he did. County employees and police filled the benches and deputies and commissioners filled the jury box. Several stood around the edge of the room to honor Tripp’s 32 years in law enforcement.

Tripp was humble, thanking everyone personally before going to the front of the room, then again in a short speech. Tripp has served 20 years with the Sheriff’s Office and 12 years on the Paris Police Department before that.

Gallant gave a prepared speech, prefacing it with his hope that Tripp would tear up. It worked.

“He possesses a strong sense of right and wrong and becomes frustrated when true justice becomes sidetracked,” Gallant said. “He has felt the sharp criticism that comes with the job, but he never wavered. He has always stood by and for his fellow officers. He has been a cop.”

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