RANGELEY — Jay police Chief Richard Caton IV of Wilton has been hired as interim police chief to do administrative work.

Town Manager Joe Roach said Caton will work 16 to 20 hours per week until June 30 with the possibility of monthly extensions as needed.

Caton will be paid $60 an hour but will not receive benefits.

“(The) chief’s top priorities will be reviewing our policies and procedures, checking on pending cases, and assisting us with our path forward,” Roach wrote.

Caton will remain the full-time chief of Jay.

He will work on his off-time in Rangeley, Jay Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said.

Caton brings 10 years of experience as a police chief and is highly regarded in the field, Roach said.

Caton was named acting chief of Jay Police Department in February 2014 when Chief Larry White Sr. went on medical leave for pancreatic cancer. Caton was hired as police chief in October 2014 following White’s death.

The Rangeley Budget Committee has requested an amount for the police budget that would keep a status quo of two officers and one chief, however they have not had a chance to vote on that adjustment yet, Roach said.

Rangeley police Sgt. Jared Austin is leaving the department at the end of this week for another position in law enforcement.

The Board of Selectmen continues its due diligence in exploring law enforcement options, Roach said.

Caton initially started with the Jay Police Department as a patrolman. He joined the Wilton Police Department to become a lieutenant and returned to Jay as a detective.

Caton was recognized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Maine in 2013 for his “outstanding contribution” and presented with the National Crime Victims Rights Week 2013 Law Enforcement Award.

The award stemmed from Caton having a lead in a case involving 19 stolen guns from a Jay residence, which he recovered within 24 hours in January 2012. He was commended for conducting an “expeditious investigation” and keeping the guns, including 10 semiautomatic weapons, out of the hands of others.

Caton also led the Jay department to be the first certified accredited department in Franklin County in 2022.

Caton comes from a law enforcement background. His father, the late Richard Caton III, was Farmington police chief for several years, and his mother, Melinda, was a supervisor of the Franklin County Regional Communications Center in Farmington until she retired in 2016. His twin brother, Brock Caton of Farmington, is director of public safety/chief of police of the University of Maine at Farmington’s Department of Public Safety.

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