Paris, Tenn. — The Paris Police Department has appointed Officer Jimmy Newman to serve as the City’s Downtown Officer, a role intended to strengthen safety, visibility, and communication in the downtown area.
The Downtown Officer position is not new but has been vacant in recent years due to staffing shortages within the department. With the position now staffed, residents and visitors may notice a more consistent police presence downtown.
Officer Newman’s primary focus will be safety, community presence, and communication. He will be an approachable presence downtown, serve as a liaison between the downtown community and the City, and address parking and pedestrian issues as part of routine patrol.
With the position now filled, enforcement of existing two-hour parking regulations may be more noticeable. These parking rules are not new and have been in place since metered parking was removed. Two-hour parking applies only to spaces in areas marked with “Two Hour Parking” signage and is enforced Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The time limit does not apply on weekends or designated holidays. Parking time limits are monitored through patrol documentation and follow-up, and vehicles are not marked or touched to track time.
Officer Newman has been with the Paris Police Department for nearly two years. Prior to joining the department, he served as a firefighter and reserve officer for the Town of Dover and owned several small businesses. “The most important part of this role is being a liaison between downtown businesses and the City, while also being a helpful law enforcement presence for everyone visiting downtown,” Newman said. “I want to be a regular presence, get to know business owners, and be available when questions or issues come up.”
For those planning to remain downtown for longer than two hours, the City of Paris offers multiple free, city-owned parking lots located within walking distance of downtown. These municipal lots have no time limits and provide convenient options for longer appointments or extended visits. An interactive map of these locations is available on the City of Paris website.
If a parking citation is issued while someone is attending court, serving jury duty, or appearing as a subpoenaed witness, court paperwork showing the date may be brought to the Police Records Office for review, and the parking fee may be waived if applicable. Anyone who wishes to dispute a parking ticket for other reasons may do so in City Court, which is held at City Hall on the first and third Thursdays of each month.
For more information, contact the Paris Police Department at 731-642-2424 or visit the City of Paris website for parking maps and additional details.