Damariscotta Police Officer Jason Warlick graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy Dec. 14 and is already putting his knowledge to work for the town.
A patrol officer with Damariscotta since November 2011, Warlick graduated 14th out of 60 with a score of 93 in a class that broke several records for average scores in academics and various skills tests.
Cadets live at the academy Monday-Friday for 18 weeks. The day starts at 5:30 a.m., ends at 10:15 p.m. and includes academic, physical and tactical aspects.
The cadets complete training for everything from a basic traffic stop to the mechanics of arrest, restraint and control. They complete an emergency vehicle operations course and receive instruction on the proper method to conduct a standard field sobriety test.
The cadets study criminal and constitutional law, train with firearms and learn tactics for hostage situations and “active shooter” events.
Warlick is already using his knowledge about the latter to work with Damariscotta Police Chief Chad Andrews and Great Salt Bay Community School administrators, faculty and staff to improve security at the school.
He is reviewing department standard operating procedure for use in training and in the event of an active shooter situation at the school, a concern that has come to the forefront after the deadly Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown, Conn.
Damariscotta Police Chief Chad Andrews spoke about those efforts at a Dec. 19 meeting of the Damariscotta Board of Selectmen.
“We’re on top of it,” Andrews said. “We’re proactive on it and we’re going to continue to meet with [school officials] and put as many security procedures in place as we can.”
The department plans to conduct a training exercise at the school after hours using non-lethal training ammunition similar to paintballs, Andrews said.
The chief credited Warlick for bringing good ideas to the meetings, and for his strong performance at the academy, where Andrews said he became a leader of his class.
Cadets traditionally celebrate with a party on class night, but Warlick’s class used their night out to buy toys for children who might not otherwise receive any this Christmas.
Warlick, of Wiscasset, has worked in law enforcement as a corrections officer and municipal police officer since 2005.
