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Rep. Mark Sylvia urges committee to raise age limit for Fairhaven special police officers in H.4234
Summary
Representative Mark Sylvia asked the Joint Committee on Public Service to support H.4234, a bill to raise the maximum service age for special police officers in Fairhaven from 65 to 70 and to clarify appointing authority.
Representative Mark Sylvia (Tenth Bristol District) told the Joint Committee on Public Service July 16 that House Bill 4234 would amend Chapter 160 of the Acts of 2003 to raise Fairhaven’s age limit for special police officers from 65 to 70 and to clarify who appoints them.
“For Fairhaven, like many other towns, retired officers bring decades of experience and institutional knowledge,” Sylvia said. He argued that raising the age limit would allow towns facing budget and staffing pressures to continue using experienced retired officers, and would permit those officers to serve in detailed capacities in neighboring communities.
Sylvia provided a short explanation of the bill’s scope and asked the committee for a favorable recommendation. Committee members did not ask follow‑up questions at the time and no formal action was taken during the hearing.
The representative noted the bill is specific to Fairhaven and stressed local control and the value of retired officers as municipal resources.
