'Disrespect And Poor Treatment' Of Milford Cops Continues: Chief

MILFORD, CT — During the September Board of Police Commissioners meeting, Police Chief Keith Mello addressed several significant topics including a surge in crime this summer and an "increase in disrespect and poor treatment" of officers.

The Chief said there were several big challenges for officers this past summer. "Robberies, purse snatching, car-jacking, assaults," meeting minutes state. "He referred to 6 robberies in an 11-day period of time occurring in the Route 1 district, near the Mall and Post Road and more recently at gas pumps at Costco and Cumberland Farms."

He explained there has been a real challenge with the uptick in stolen cars and youths with guns, and an uptick in people who will commit a crime and then run from the police, police commission meeting minutes state.

Through all of this, Mello stated there has been an "increase in disrespect and poor treatment to our officers. " He stated the Department has lost one young officer who left and with regard to the Academy, there were 9 officers participating when it began and now that number is down to 4, and he would expect to see more leaving.

Further he noted there have been challenges at Milford beaches during the summer. Officers are there and as soon as they leave the challenges would return and increase so much so that it became necessary to put officers at the beach and in the downtown area every day. He also explained bars in the downtown area stopped hiring officers, so it was necessary to begin assigning and paying two officers to work at the downtown bars.