Middletown police chief reports small dip in January calls, outlines staffing changes and expanded training
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Summary
The Middletown Police chief reported a 2% decline in January calls for service, outlined five current vacancies, several upcoming retirements and expanded training funded in part by a state senator; the commission accepted department minutes and closed the public portion by voting to enter executive session on personnel matters.
The Middletown Police chief told the Police Commission that the department handled 2,305 calls for service in January, a 2% decrease from December's 2,343, and that Part 1 crimes fell to 25 for the month (3 violent, 22 property), down about 32% from the prior month. Arrests were 168, down 3% from December, the chief said.
The chief also reported a marked increase in parking enforcement tied to weather alerts: 848 parking tickets in January versus 443 in December, a rise he attributed to snow-related restrictions. Traffic summons rose slightly to 261, from 231 in December. Uses of force were reported in five of the 168 arrests, roughly 3% of arrests for the month. The department investigated one "shots fired" call on Jan. 22 that was unfounded and traced to activity at the Shihuangi Fish and Game Club, the chief said.
On staffing, the chief said the department has five vacancies in a budgeted force of 75 (70 current personnel). Two officers — Kyle Reed and James Schallnighbor — recently retired after 20 years of service. Officer Michael Warden completed field training on Feb. 12 and was assigned to patrol. The chief said two officers are on maternity leave, one is deployed with the National Guard and two are in the police academy. He announced forthcoming retirements, including Sergeant Jacqueline Welch (last working day Feb. 27; official separation in April after using accrued time) and an anticipated May 29 retirement for Detective Ahmed Artola. The chief said both longtime employees had signaled interest in part-time or contract work after retirement.
The department also reassigned Sergeant Jordan McInerney to be the job unit commander as part of succession planning and noted the recent retirement of K9 Storm (about nine years old). The chief described the post-retirement sale of the canine to the sergeant for a nominal $1 under a contract that shifts medical and liability responsibilities to the purchaser, saying, "It's been part of his life for all these years, his family." He told the commission the contract is intended to remove municipal liability.
Training and community programming were a major focus. The chief said January included departmentwide firearms and reality-based training, and attendance at leadership and critical-incident courses. The department ran ICAT de-escalation training through a grant, conducted gender-based violence and first-responder wellness training, and sent officers to regional symposiums and HIDTA-related instruction. The department also hosted a two-day "policing the teenage brain" session and used grant funds to pay for school assemblies tied to youth outreach. The chief thanked "Senator Scoofus" for funding that program, saying assemblies and the training had produced "very positive" feedback.
The commission approved the January minutes and later voted to enter executive session to discuss personnel matters. The chief closed his public report before commissioners moved to executive session at 04:53.
Looking ahead, the chief said he hopes some retiring employees will return part time to continue community outreach, and he outlined planned youth leadership sessions starting later in the month.