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Butte Falls opts to seek advice about marshal By JULIE SWENSEN BUTTE FALLS -- A town marshal who could lose his job after drinking during police training appealed to the people of Butte Falls Wednesday night, saying he's an alcoholic and asking them to let him go through rehabilitation and keep his job. Council members didn't decide Wednesday what would happen to marshal Jared Brown; they said they'll seek legal advice first. Brown told an overflow crowd at the meeting that he'd been removed from the Oregon Police Academy in Monmouth after he used poor judgment and drank alcohol in his car on the Western Oregon University campus, a violation of academy rules. He is on paid administrative leave, and sheriff's deputies have been asked to respond to calls for police service. Mayor Jack Brown said he told Brown that his best option was to resign. But rather than resigning and "giving up on myself and this community," Jared Brown is asking that Butte Falls provide treatment for his alcohol addiction. "I strongly wish to successfully conquer this problem and continue to serve with honor and integrity," he said. "I will endeavor to exceed any expectations required to complete treatment and regain trust and credibility people had in me. "I cannot express my sorrow enough with words alone regarding how I feel about letting people down," he added. "I only hope all who read this or hear it read will understand my sincerity regarding this matter. I am making the right decisions to correct my problem and I hope you, too, will make the right decision." Brown was withdrawn, not suspended, from the academy, so he can re-enter training later, but the withdrawal complicates that. State law requires that police officers complete academy training within a year of being hired, and Brown hasn't done so. He was hired in January 1998. Brown was required to start training within 90 days of his employment, but city officials said paperwork was lost and an extension granted because of the birth of Brown's baby. Officials and members of the audience spoke of the liability the town would be exposed to with an untrained marshal. Some said that wouldn't be worth the risk. People talked of the months it would take for Brown to go through rehabilitation and then wait for another academy spot to open, and some said the town couldn't afford to pay his salary during rehabilitation and training. Others expressed anger at hearing council members reveal Wednesday that they'd previously told Brown before the academy drinking incident that he needed to go into rehabilitation. Brown said he'd been straightforward with academy officials about what he'd done. He said he could have lied and still have been at the academy, "but you people deserve to be able to trust me." He added: "I have a problem and I'm going to fix it." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA