Cop Talk: Milford Chief O'Loughlin On the Opioid Crisis, Police Brutality and Unsolved Murders

MILFORD, MA — Milford Patch asked Police Chief Tom O'Loughlin some questions we think our readers would like to ask him themselves. Here, he shares his thoughts on crime statistics, race relations, unsolved mysteries, where speeders get caught the most and more.

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What is the biggest, or most pressing, crime or issue that concerns the police department in Milford? The most concerning policing and social issue confronting this community and communities throughout this State and the Nation is the opioid crisis. The Milford Police Department has focused a significant portion of our investigative and patrol resources in enforcing the laws related to the distribution and trafficking of narcotics. We have also partnered with a number of social service organizations to assist those who are addicted and their families in finding rehabilitation and other social services. Additionally, the Milford Police Department was in the forefront of the efforts to provide Narcan to all of our officers so that they can render life-saving measures in the event of an overdose.

The opioid crisis is a significant public safety issue because of the significant adverse impact that it has on individuals who are addicted, their families and the community at large. A very large portion of crimes involving breaking and entering into homes and vehicles, theft of property and shoplifting is related to individuals who are addicted to drugs and are in need of funds to purchase the drugs. We believe that if we help these individuals resolve their addiction, we are also helping their extended family and the community at large

Your most memorable case in your career, and also as Milford chief: I have served as a police officer for 39 years in Massachusetts and as a Chief of Police for 30 years of which I have been the Milford Chief for 14 years. Honestly, I have dealt with so many tragic and happy events that there is not one that rises in my consciousness above the others.

The subject of race relations, racial profiling and police brutality is obviously an extremely hot button topic these days. Have you had to address this issue with any of your officers/department? Are there changing concerns in this area? I am both proud and pleased to say that the officers of the Milford Police Department have an exceptional relationship with every segment of the Milford community regardless of their race, ethnicity, religious beliefs or sexual orientation.

I believe that our efforts to engage and work with the people, faith organizations and social service organizations in Milford has been instrumental in ensuring that the issues that we have seen elsewhere in the country are not and will not occur in this community.

Are there any unsolved mysteries in Milford? Although the officers of the Milford Police Department and the State Police assigned to District Attorney Joe Early’s office work tirelessly on murder cases, there have been investigations that have been difficult to resolve by bringing the responsible party to justice. We continue to work on a so-called “cold case” involving a murder involving people from Milford that occurred in another community more than 40 years ago. We also continue with our investigation into a homicide that occurred several years ago in an apartment on Main Street.

What was a national case that was most compelling to you? In my capacity as a police chief and an attorney, over the years there have been a number of cases that have piqued my attention to include the O.J. Simpson murder trial; the Chuck Stuart case in Boston; all of the affairs associated with Whitey Bulger and being a New England Patriots fan, the most recent and the upcoming trials of Aaron Hernandez.