Milford May Hire New Police Chief By September: Committee

MILFORD, MA — Milford may have its first permanent police chief in years by fall.

The town's newly-formed police chief search committee met for the first time last week, laying the groundwork for a national search to find a permanent chief after several years of inconsistency in the role.

At the meeting, the committee picked Milford Select Board member Paul Mazzuchelli as the chair, and discussed a job description and hiring an executive search firm to look for candidates. Mazzuchelli said he hopes the town will be able to offer a job to a candidate by mid-September at the latest.

The 12-member search committee includes representatives from the police union, personnel committee, Town Meeting and a designee of the town moderator. Mazzuchelli also said during the meeting he hopes to get input on the search from the chamber of commerce, Milford Regional Medical Center and Milford Public Schools.

Milford has had three police chiefs since 2019, including the current chief, who is set to retire this year.

In 2019, the select board voted not to renew a contract with former chief Tom O'Loughlin — who is now chair of the select board — after almost two decades on the job. Michael Pighetti took over for O'Loughlin in what was supposed to be a temporary assignment.

In early 2020, the town formed a search committee and offered the job to Baltimore police Maj. James Rhoden Jr. He turned the offer down, and so Pighetti was hired as chief on a three-year contract. After about a year in the job, the select board placed Pighetti on administrative leave to investigate the circumstances of a January 2021 traffic stop initiated by the chief. In October 2021, the select board fired Pighetti over that stop. Interim Chief James Falvey, who is still on the job today, was given a two-year contract after Pighetti's termination. Falvey's contract expires at the end of September.

The committee's next meeting will be held Feb. 16 at the senior center starting at 6 p.m.