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Milford police budget raises wages to aid recruiting, chief defends license‑plate reader safeguards
Summary
Chief Mello told the Board of Finance the department’s 2026–27 budget includes a major wage increase aimed at improving recruitment and retention; he also addressed privacy concerns about license‑plate readers and said the vendor Flock moved from an opt‑out to opt‑in sharing model.
Chief Mello told the Milford Board of Finance on Thursday that the police department’s 2026–27 budget centers on a “significant” wage increase intended to address persistent recruiting shortfalls.
Mello said the pay adjustment has already attracted more applicants and put Milford “at the average” among neighboring departments, though vacancies remain even with a 13‑person recruit class now underway. He said operating expenses are largely flat and capital outlays are “over $600,000 less than the previous year.”
Board members pressed the chief on several operational items. When asked about the Community Oriented Policing substation, Mello described it as a visible,…
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