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Middletown police report small rise in calls, ongoing shooting and school assault investigations; accreditation passes
Summary
The chief reported 2,817 calls for service in September, modest increases in some crime categories, an ongoing investigation into a Sept. 18 shooting that wounded two people, and a school assault that led to a first-degree assault charge; the department also passed a Division of Criminal Justice audit with only minor updates required.
The Middletown Police Department reported modest changes in September activity and singled out two investigations that remain active.
The chief of police told the Police Commission the department handled 2,817 calls for service in September, up from 2,678 in August, and made 244 arrests compared with 275 in August. "Calls for service, the department handled 2,817 calls for service," the chief said. He also reported the department issued 482 traffic summonses and 317 parking tickets in September and recorded five uses-of-force incidents, which he said equates to about 2% of arrests.
The department investigated three "shots fired" reports in September; two were determined to be unfounded and one was confirmed. The chief said the confirmed incident occurred on Sept. 18 at or near the intersection of Wallkill and Lake (identified in the record as 31½ Lake Avenue) and left two people struck by gunfire. "There's actually 2 subjects that were struck by gunfire that day. We're still conducting an investigation into that," the chief said, adding investigators are recovering video evidence and noted some victims have been uncooperative.
The department also reported an assault at the high school on Sept. 30. The chief said a 17-year-old suspect used a medical-grade scalpel and struck another 17-year-old. "He actually utilized a medical grade scalpel ... it's on video," the chief said; the suspect was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, a class B felony, and the case is now in the court system.
The chief briefed commissioners on two off-duty or collateral incidents involving department personnel. He described a Sept. 25 wrong-way crash on Route 17 involving a tractor-trailer that resulted in a death; the chief said Lieutenant Tholin, who was nearby, assisted at the scene but was not directly involved in the crash. The chief said state police are leading the criminal investigation and that the attorney general's office will likely interview local officers as part of that inquiry. "He was part of that incident. He's fine," the chief said of Lieutenant Tholin.
The chief also updated the commission on staffing and recruitment. He said the department currently has 73 sworn officers out of a budgeted 75 and listed two current vacancies that could grow to three. One officer is on military leave with an expected return in December, another is on a line-of-duty injury, one recently completed field training and two are in the police academy. He noted recent departures: Officer Justin Quiles resigned effective Oct. 11 to join the Peekskill Police Department and Officer Jessica Zagui has notified the department she plans to resign to take a position with the Tuckahoe Police Department.
On recruitment, the department hosted a physical agility exam on Oct. 5 focused on bilingual candidates: six candidates attended and only one passed. "Unfortunately, only 6 showed up. ... and at the end of the physical agility exam, only 1 passed," the chief said. He said he has requested the next candidate list from civil service and scheduled another physical agility exam for Nov. 23, and has requested a police officer exam for 2025.
The department listed a series of trainings completed since the last meeting, including firearms and reality-based training, active-shooter (ALERT) exercises, drone assessment and ICAC investigations training, autism awareness for first responders and leadership and ethics programs. The chief also described new community programming: a 12-week fall leadership academy with 28 youth ages 13–18 overseen by Sergeant Welch, and an intended after-school partnership with the school district supported by SNUG grant funds beginning in mid-November.
Why it matters: the report shows the department is managing regular public-safety work while dealing with ongoing investigations and staffing pressures that could affect operations and overtime. The confirmed shooting that wounded two people and the school assault carrying felony charges are the most immediate public-safety items noted.
What’s next: the commission discussed the reports briefly but raised no substantive public policy changes at this meeting; several investigations remain open and will proceed through normal criminal and internal-review processes.
