Milford police budget raises wages to aid recruiting, chief defends license‑plate reader safeguards

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, targeted unit that operates in locations with summertime or nightlife disorder and that its staffing and vehicle costs appear in overtime lines.

Privacy and data‑sharing questions centered on license‑plate readers after a public commenter recommended cutting funding over concerns that access had been shared with federal agencies. Mello said the vendor Flock “had an opt out policy” previously that allowed broader searching but has changed its policy so jurisdictions must now opt in. He said Milford is working with Flock and has helped craft a proposed statewide policy that would prevent searches from out‑of‑state departments inconsistent with Connecticut’s Trust Act and related statutes.

The chief also told the board the department no longer included a five‑year Axon contract payment in this budget because that procurement is being paid through another mechanism. He summarized state requirements for recording systems (body and dash cameras, interview‑room recording) and explained the budget now reflects a different funding pathway for the replacement contract.

On school safety, board members asked whether armed school security officers would reduce police calls; Mello said those officers act as observers and would summon police for incidents just as current school staff do, so he did not expect a reduction in call volume. He said response times typically run five to seven minutes for routine calls and three to five minutes for emergencies, and offered to provide year‑to‑date school incident statistics by follow up email.

The chief reported a drop in some line items such as Narcan inventory that reflected current on‑hand stocks and usage rather than a policy change. He said training costs declined because Milford operates a satellite training academy that generates revenue and reduces the need to send recruits to external academies.

No formal vote on the police budget was taken at the hearing; Mello answered questions and promised to supply requested data to board members for further review.