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Middletown police chief reports drug seizure, staffing changes and CALEA accreditation work
Summary
Police Chief Costa told the Common Council about a recent Westlake-area seizure of cash and narcotics, staffing levels, cadet and community programs, and preparations for the department's first CALEA Level 1 inspection.
Police Chief Costa reported to the Common Council that the department seized more than $5,400 in cash and narcotics, including fentanyl, crack and cocaine, and that a suspect was arrested and appeared in court the same morning. "We seized over $5,400 in cash and narcotics," Costa said during his monthly correspondence report.
Costa outlined staffing and overtime trends: the department is listed at 118 officers on paper, down about 10 because of workers' compensation and with two open positions currently being filled. He said the cadet program is approaching roughly 30 members and that the department hopes recruitment and local training partnerships will help fill vacancies.
The chief described several pilot and community programs, including a blue-envelope program to ease interactions for people on the autism spectrum during traffic stops, a red-flag data-collection pilot to detect personnel issues early, and use-of-force training to meet CALEA standards. "We are coming into the final months of going towards our first inspection for Level 1 CALEA standard," Costa said, calling accreditation an important professional milestone.
Costa also mentioned early-stage coordination for the Route 9 project and forthcoming public meetings once historical-land assessments and preliminary designs progress; he announced an upcoming overnight repaving schedule on South Main and Washington streets and said sign boards will notify the public.
Councilors asked follow-up questions about enforcement and interdepartmental communication; Costa said he would revisit dispatch procedures and follow up with residents who raised concerns during public comment.
