Police Chief Falsely Reported Academy Training And Decertified

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A Maine police chief 'resigned' from his role before being decertified as a police officer for falsely swearing that officers had done training that they had not, this blog can report for the first time.

It has been reported that former Rangeley Police Chief Russell French, who held the position since 2016, 'resigned' in February last year. What has been missing from coverage is the reason.

According to records obtained under the Freedom of Access Act, Mr. French was sent a letter by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy that its board had voted to decertify him as a full-time police officer on May 10, 2024. The letter, dated May 30, 2024, said he was entitled to a hearing to challenge their findings. It is unclear if he sought one.

The Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) is what is known as a Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) entity that oversees the certification of police officers (equivalent to a professional license) and conducts training. Decertification means an officer cannot continue to be a police officer, let alone a police chief.

A statute requires that police chiefs report annually to the MCJA that their agency has adopted policies consistent with the minimum standards required by the MCJA board and state that all officers have received appropriate training and orientation. The agency must also record other in-service training and include that in the annual report.

At the end of January 2024 the MCJA letter to him states that Mr. French swore to a notary public that all officers in his report had completed mandatory re-certification training requirements. Every law enforcement officer is required to do a certain minimum amount of training in order for them to continue to be police officers. He also swore that all mandatory minimum mandatory policies had been adopted, and that all statements were correct. The letter states Mr. French knew they were not.

The Town of Rangely then notified the academy two weeks after Mr. French's employment ended on February 12, 2024.

The letter said each of the three 'false swearing' incidents were potential class D crimes, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine for each offense. The academy's letter was signed by the chairman of the academy board, Brian Pellerin.

Mr. French has since been replaced by Richard Caton. Reporting has not mentioned the circumstances of Mr. French's departure and subsequent involvement by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.