Middletown police chief reports year‑end crime declines, details shootings, staffing and anti‑violence grant

MIDDLETOWN — At a Middletown Police Commission meeting in February 2025, Police Chief delivered the department’s monthly and year‑end report, saying overall calls for service and crime totals declined in 2024 while outlining recent shooting investigations, staffing updates, training and an expected state anti‑violence grant award.

The chief told commissioners that the department handled 2,338 calls for service in November 2024 and 2,313 in December 2024, and that the department responded to 32,485 calls for service for the year 2024 — a 6.61% decrease from 34,783 in 2023. He said part 1 crimes fell to 610 in 2024 from 793 in 2023, a 23.08% decrease, and that part 2 crimes dropped to 2,161 from 2,318, a 6.77% decrease. Arrests, traffic tickets and parking tickets were also lower year over year, the chief said.

The numbers, the chief said, are reflected in the department’s internal records and later in state reporting to DCJS (Division of Criminal Justice Services), subject to minor timing differences when cases or arrests are recorded in subsequent months.

Why it matters: the chief framed the statistics as part of a broader effort combining enforcement, community outreach and prevention programs. He highlighted school‑based presentations, the youth leadership academy and a “flex squad” that adds patrol coverage during peak hours as factors in recent results.

Recent incidents and investigations: the chief recounted three shooting incidents in November and December. On November 19, officers arrested an 18‑year‑old identified in the report as Dylan Salandra after investigators recovered an illegally possessed firearm; no one was struck. On Thanksgiving evening the department arrested Aaron Dunn, 22, for a domestic‑related discharge into a residence. In December, an apparent self‑inflicted rifle wound was reported at a North Street residence and a December incident on Roosevelt Avenue led to the arrest of three juveniles, ages 14–16, and recovery of two illegally possessed handguns; the chief said one juvenile was placed in a juvenile facility for up to a year.

The chief also described a rapid multi‑agency response to a suspicious person at the Orange County Trust building. Using surveillance video, license‑plate reader hits and regionwide intel sharing, officers linked a box truck to similar incidents, which led to a pursuit in a neighboring jurisdiction and the arrest of a suspect who was later found with stolen property, the chief said.

Staffing, training and programs: the chief reported the department was budgeted for 75 sworn officers in 2025 and said staff levels stood at 73 sworn officers with two vacancies. He said Police Officer Christopher returned from an extended military deployment and was recently re‑trained in field training; Officer Jonathan Gay was scheduled to start and be sworn in later that week; and Officer Myers completed field training in December. The department also certified a new narcotics K‑9, Micah, and said several officers and supervisors completed training on procedural justice, de‑escalation, incident command and other topics.

Anti‑violence funding: the chief said the department has been notified informally that it will be one of about five Hudson Valley jurisdictions to receive significant funding from the state anti‑violence initiative known as SNUG (the chief said SNUG is funded through the state Department of Criminal Justice initiatives and sponsored locally by Senator Skoufis). He said Middletown received $150,000 in 2024 and used roughly $65,000 for school‑based programs and portable camera trailers; the department expects continued funding and plans additional school assemblies and a seventh‑grade conflict‑resolution training cohort if the award is finalized.

Internal reviews and policy updates: the chief said he forwarded three internal investigations and updated procedures to the commission for review. He told commissioners that the internal investigations — two property‑damage accidents and one pursuit — found no policy violations and that he supported the conclusions. Commissioners moved to accept the November police commission minutes and later voted to accept the internal investigations and the proposed policy language changes as presented; each motion was seconded and recorded by the commission as approved.

Formal actions and next steps: the public portion of the meeting ended when the commission voted to move into executive session at 5:08 p.m. to discuss personnel matters, the chief said. He closed by thanking officers for their community outreach work and by noting an expansion of youth programs planned for late winter and summer sessions.

Ending note: the chief asked commissioners to accept the materials he had circulated and said he would provide finalized details about the expected SNUG award and any required reporting once the department received official notification.