Even before the town of Wiscasset approved funding for a school resource officer in the police department’s budget back in May, Wiscasset Police Chief Troy Cline knew he already had the ideal candidate for the new job.
Officer Perry Hatch, Chief Cline’s recommendation for Wiscasset’s new school resource officer, is off for a 40-hour training session in Portsmouth, N.H., which began July 7. In an interview on July 5, Hatch said this first round of training will teach him the basic role and responsibilities of a school resource officer. At the end of July Hatch will attend additional training for the job.
Hatch has been serving as a full-time officer in Wiscasset for the past two years. Prior to that, he was a member of the Maine State Police, working in the Chelsea, Pittston, and Randolph area. While in the U.S. Army, Hatch served in the military police. He also has experience as a canine handler and accident reconstructionist.
As an instructor at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, Hatch taught traffic radar and accident investigation.
“I am stepping into something new,” Hatch said.
Although Hatch has been involved in police work for nearly 30 years, he said the school resource officer is new territory for him and realizes he has a lot to learn.
“It’s not only new for me, but it’s new for the Wiscasset Police Department and it’s new for the schools,” Hatch said. “I am going to sit back and listen for awhile. I think better results will occur if I watch and listen.”
In order to succeed in his new job, Hatch said he will need to make students, staff and the public feel comfortable; building confidence and trust is essential, he said.
School resource officers are a growing trend in Maine and throughout the country, he said.
As part of efforts to curtail substance abuse issues at Wiscasset High School, Cline made the recommendation to hire a school resource officer, saying the visible presence of a police officer in the school would be a deterrent for drug activity. Students would also benefit from having a mentor available to them at the school, Cline said.
Although Hatch admits the high school has a reputation of having a drug problem, he said he hopes his presence in the schools will build confidence with students and staff to work together to improve the school’s reputation.
“The school generally reflects our community,” Hatch said.
Hatch said students are the future of the community and the best way to protect them and improve the future is to intervene at a young age.
Cline said when talks first began on a possible resource officer he knew Hatch had the right skill set for the position.
“He has the right demeanor for a small town,” Cline said. “He is very approachable and knows how to deal with people.”
Cline said he has been involved in other agencies with school resource officers and understands the characteristics needed for the position.
“You don’t select just anyone for the position,” Cline said. “Perry posseses all the qualities of a resource officer.”
On May 31, Wiscasset voters narrowly approved the police budget, which included funding for the new resource officer.
The Wiscasset School Board has not formally approved a school resource officer, which will be required before implementation. According to Wayne Dorr, former interim superintendent, the school board will take action on the school resource officer at its next meeting July 24.
With Hatch moving into the school resource officer’s position, Officer Alfred Simmons has been re-hired as a full-time officer. Simmons retired from the Wiscasset Police Department as a full-time officer in 2010.
Simmons worked for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office as a judicial marshal since he left his full-time post with the Wiscasset Police Department. He has been working as a part-time Wiscasset officer for the last couple of years, Cline said. Simmons began his full-time status on July 1.
