A proposed police officer in Wiscasset's schools is drawing a positive reception so far from the town's school committee.

“I'm completely committed,” committee member Eugene Stover said on May 15.

The panel had just heard Wiscasset Police Chief Troy Cline's outline of the school resource officer's multiple roles in the town’s three schools.

Selectmen have agreed to take Cline's request to voters at the May 31 town meeting. The budget committee opposes funding the job, which would grow the department to four full-time officers.

If the town funds the school resource officer, the department and the school committee would draft a document that gives the committee an out, if the arrangement isn't working out, Cline said.

However, he predicted committee members will instead be wondering why an officer wasn't put into the schools years ago.

“I would be very shocked if we were to get to a point where you didn't want a school resource officer anymore.”

Resource officers are in most school systems now, Cline said; they serve as mentors, teach coursework about search and seizure and other laws, and deter outside threats to schools. That's one reason he said he would want the cruiser parked out front, he said.

It could also help with students' awareness, according to School Committee Chairman Glen Craig.

“That cruiser out front, and that officer in the uniform, I think is a huge thing for that maturation level,” Craig said.

The connections the officer would establish with students could help some avoid trouble, Cline said.

“When you have that child on the cusp of doing something stupid, perhaps we can ... get (the child) on the right path.”

The officer should be someone who can be friendly but firm with students, committee member Colleen Bennett said. “If you see them doing something wrong, don’t pat them on the back.”

Cline told the committee the officer he has in mind is Perry Hatch, already a full-time officer with the department; the fourth officer added would fill Hatch’s current slot.

Student law-breaking would be subject to consequences with police and the school system, Cline said. If found smoking a cigarette, a student would be ticketed, but would also face the school's discipline, Cline said.

The specifics of how that will work will need to be clear, Interim Superintendent of Schools Wayne Dorr said.

“We need to know where staff discipline stops and police (consequences) start,” he said.