NORWAY — Norway Police Department has welcomed a new face to its ranks – 21-year-old Michael Jones of Hanover. Jones is a 2019 graduate of Telstar High School who, during his senior year of high school, did a dual enrollment with Central Maine Community College. After graduating he continued his studies earning an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

In August of 2020, he went to work for the Oxford County Jail and then in March of 2021, came on board with NPD as a part time reserve officer and went full time as a patrol officer in May 2021.

He started at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in January of 2022 and graduated in May.

“I like helping people,” he says. “My family are all firefighters and I worked with Bethel Fire Department as a volunteer since 2017.”

So why not firefighting? “I didn’t want the EMS part required of firefighters today.” So he decided on law enforcement.

Jones says he hasn’t quite figured out his career goals yet. However, he works as much as he can for NPD, taking on as many shifts as he can get.

When he’s not working he enjoys the outdoors including kayaking and hiking. “I would love to try some hunting some day.” He also enjoys spending time “with my large family!”

He hasn’t really had a bad moment although a coworker was recently in a motorcycle accident and although unscathed, hearing about it on his police radio “was awful. Responding to a coworker sucked.”

The best part of his job so far, has been “showing little kids the cruiser.”