Wiscasset Police Defend School Resource Officer Position

Wiscasset Police Chief Troy Cline and School Resource Officer Perry Hatch attended the Wiscasset School Board meeting March 26 to provide an update of Hatch’s work and establish a vision for the second year of the position.


The update was given ahead of an anticipated budget debate over eliminating the position.


According to Wiscasset Budget Committee Chairman Cliff Hendricks, Wiscasset voters will consider the school resource officer as a separate warrant article at their annual town meeting in June.


The town-funded position was established in 2014 after narrow voter approval at town meeting. The Wiscasset Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee diverged in their recommendation of supporting the position, which was included in the public safety budget.


Selectmen recommended voters approve a public safety budget of $376,374 in 2014, which included the school resource officer position. The budget committee recommended a reduced budget of $336,776 without the position.


It took three separate motions at the town meeting to resolve the issue. Voters ultimately approved the selectmen’s recommendation in a 91-76 vote, according to The Lincoln County News archives. In June, the school resource officer will be separated from the overall public safety budget to stand alone before voters.


“I couldn’t be happier with the way this program has been working,” Cline said to the school committee. “I think we’re doing it right, but I want to hear from you.”


Both Wiscasset High School Principal Cheri Towle and Wiscasset Primary School Principal Mona Schlein spoke of the positive impact Hatch has had on the school community – an impact, both said, they would like to see continue.


Hatch took on the role of school resource officer after serving more than 25 years in law enforcement. A veteran of the U.S. Army’s military police, Hatch served as a state trooper for 23 years before retiring in 2009. Less than two years later, he was back in uniform as a Wiscasset police officer.


At the start of the 2014-2015 school year, Hatch took on the role of school resource officer, a position that combines law enforcement, education, support, and guidance.


Hatch’s presence in the school system not only creates a deterrent to public safety threats at schools, it has also helped change students’ perception of law enforcement, Cline said.

The position is part of a broad shift in law enforcement toward community policing.


Affectionately called “Officer Po-po” by students and “Officer Lollipop” by his own children, Hatch said he is well-suited for his role as school resource officer.


“No matter how thin the pancake, it still has two sides,” Hatch said. It is an axiom he said his mother taught him and he uses it to describe his approach to law enforcement – an approach focused on listening and understanding.


Each school day, Hatch stands on the front steps of the high school to greet students and staff as they arrive. He has created a bond with many of the students and serves as a positive male role model for students who may not otherwise have one, Towle said.


“It’s important this position continues from one year to the next,” Towle said. “The relationship he’s created is growing outside of the school community.”


In addition to countless students seeking out Hatch to discuss problems, Towle said, many parents are now calling the school to talk with him as well.


The position has also streamlined communication between law enforcement and the school system, Towle said. The increased communication has allowed the school to provide needed services to students struggling due to an issue at home, which the school might not have otherwise known about, Towle said.


The position was initially focused on the high school. Hatch, however, has become a steady presence at the middle and primary schools, as well. “I had no idea how important the position would be at the primary school,” Schlein said. “This has been invaluable.”


“The vast majority of kids are great kids,” Hatch said. “They will make mistakes, though, and it’s up to us to point them in the right direction.”


While Hatch has developed a meaningful relationship with many students, they know he is not going to “pull them any favors,” Hatch said.


In the six months since the creation of the school resource officer position, there have been 195 calls for service in the school department, according to a Wiscasset Police Department report submitted to the school committee. Of those 195 calls, there have been nine criminal summons or arrests for assault, criminal mischief, criminal threatening with a knife, possession of marijuana, and refusing to submit to arrest or detention.


According to Hatch, the majority of those cases resulted in students being sent home with their parents and a ticket.


On Friday, March 27, a new arrest was added to the list with a 14-year old student charged with class A aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs for allegedly attempting to sell a variety of prescription drugs at the high school.


The high school does not rely on the school resource officer to address disciplinary issues with students, Towle said. Hatch’s service for discipline is requested only when situations rise to the level of law enforcement. According to Towle, Hatch’s involvement has prevented some bad situations from escalating.


In addition to providing support and guidance to students, Hatch has taken on the role of educator. He led a field trip for nine students to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and arranged for law enforcement officials from a variety of agencies to speak to students during career exploratory week.


According to Cline, Hatch intends to expand his role as an educator in the 2015-2016 school year to develop curriculum for students. Alcohol and drug awareness, the juvenile justice system, constitutional law, and bullying are a few of the classes Hatch said he hopes to introduce to the curriculum in the upcoming school year.


Hatch also plans to become involved with Camp Postcard, a week long summer camp for students in grades five and six, hosted by law enforcement.


Cline told the school committee he has heard rumblings that funding for the school resource officer will be challenged for the 2015-2016 school year. According to Hendricks, the position will be something the budget committee talks about.


Cline said he has already included the position in his 2015-2016 budget. “I’m not going to just let it go away,” Cline said.


After their presentation, Hatch was congratulated by the school committee for his performance as school resource officer. “There’s still more work to do,” Hatch said.