PARIS — Selectmen put the brakes on a planned merger of the Norway and Paris police departments Monday in order to gather more information.
Selectmen may put the question to Paris voters later than the town meeting.
Selectmen said a draft of an interlocal agreement on sharing police services wasn’t what they were looking for, and cited a need to hear from police officers and residents before putting the issue up for a vote.
The board set a tentative date of June 4 for a public hearing to allow residents and officers to speak on their preferences. Norway has already voted to ask residents to vote on the issue at the June town elections.
Paris selectmen decided the vote could wait until after the town meeting. If approved, the police merger would begin later than the planned July 1 start date.
Paris police Chief David Verrier and Norway Chief Robert Federico have been working since March on a plan to share police services. The plan would put Federico in charge of officers in both towns and put more experienced Paris officers in leadership positions while putting younger Norway officers on the streets of both towns.
Verrier and Federico say the merger would provide better coverage for both towns and would save taxpayers money.
On Monday, selectmen roundly rejected a draft agreement that would set a yearlong trial merger and establish a transition team to oversee a permanent merger that would begin in July 2013.
“I don’t think that we are in a position to even discuss this until we have heard from our policemen and our citizens,” Selectman Jean Smart said.
Selectman Ted Kurtz said the draft agreement was more far-reaching than he expected. “This agreement’s got nothing to do with what we’re talking about,” he said.
Residents criticized the proposed merger Monday. Many, including John Richardson, said it would benefit Norway far more than Paris.
Calvin Woodworth criticized the Norway Police Department. “Paris has a history of a fairly pretty darn good police force. Norway can’t say the same.”
Paris police Sgt. Hartley “Skip” Mowatt, who said he was speaking as a Paris citizen, said he was personally opposed to a merger, but declined requests by board members to speak for other officers.
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