Restoring Faith In The Milford Police Department

Our local police department is one of the most important parts of what makes our community safe. It is supposed to be what makes people feel secure, give us comfort when we call for help, and trust that help will infact arrive. This image, in the past year has been tarnished, and many people in town are calling into question the faith and trust of all our dedicated officers.

Many people, including myself (a former law man) can say first hand that the reputation of an entire department is only as strong as its "weakest link." In the last week these "weak links" have been pulled to the breaking point. The Connecticut Post placed on its front page that video evidence had been accidentally destroyed by an officer, and the NH Register wrote what amounts to a "hit piece" on the entire Milford Police Department. The trashing included a "laundry list" of outrageous and irresponsible behavior.

The woes over the conduct of our officers are numerous and accusations currently range from the rehiring and firing of our police chief with a "magic formula" salary, to a city officer accidentally killing two youths in Orange.

The cost of this behavior is disconcerting, aside from the terrible loss incurred to the families and friends of the 90+ MPH crash victims in Orange, the city of Milford is going to be left with the added hardship of cleaning up this mess. The cost may arrive in increased insurance premiums, or the cost may arrive in what may amount to a multi-million dollar punitive lawsuit. The end result will be that every taxpayer in Milford will also be grieving, only we will be grieving over our city tax bill and the fact that we have all been made accountable for somthing that was not our fault.

We are at a critical juncture, whereby the people of Milford must have faith and trust in their Police Department. The people of our city need to have a government that works, a Police Chief that has policies, and subordinates who obey and respect the law themselves.

Our greatest challenge once again lies in the annals of the weak leadership in City Hall, the very boards and commissions run by the the Richetelli administration and its "responsible" Aldermanic leader Greg Smith. The job of keeping the Police Department, the Board of Education, The Building Department, and the City Attorney accountable all rests with the Mayor and the Board of Alderman. It is their job to call for a public inquiry to investigate the rapidly vanishing faith and trust in our Police Departments leadership. As of now this has not happenend and may never happen as things stand.

The right thing to do, in my opinion, is to call Chief Mello, the Lt who destroyed the data, the speeding police officers and those responsible before our city leaders. This forum should be held in public and before the Board of Alderman and the Mayor. The purpose of this forum is to use the body of government, in tandem with the current civil lawsuits, to hold our city departments and its individuals working for the taxpayers accountable.

The Board of Alderman should hear the public views regarding our Police Department. The public should be allowed to express their recommendations and opinions, regarding solutions to our Police Department. Our Citizens should be allowed to express their views to the people in charge that we will not tolerate this departments mistakes nor their failures or accidents.

The Board of Alderman has a responsibility to call a public inquiry on this matter or risk losing more faith in our Governments ability to trust its Police. It is the sole responsibility of our City Council to hold all of its employees accountable. Only the board of Alderman and the Mayor can legally suspend, fire or sanction the Police Department. The people of Milford are still waiting for the "Leadership" we were promised!

Two young adults are DEAD and laid to rest! How much more will it take?... and who dare be courageous enough to lead this great city into a better future?

Above photo of former officer Anderson

Rosa Delauro Irks Many In Milford

Sad but true, nearly a year has gone by and the only memory of a photo that I have of our illustrious Congresswoman is a lone photo of her eating lobster at a lobster fest in Milford.

Aside from her penchant for natural food, In years past and still currently I have been upset with her "food safety and modernization act." This is because it is my opinion that this act has nothing to do with food safety and all to do with handing over the family farm to big corporations. Anyone with any knowledge about this issue should be keenly aware of her husbands relationship with Monsanto foods and how it benefits them to do Monsanto's bidding.

For those who do not know Monsanto that is the company that genetically vandalizes the DNA of food and then patents the food so no one can grow it or profit from things like corn, soybeans, potato's etc. In years past they have sued family farmers over the wind cross germinating farmers fields.

Lets also not forget that as we were riding in coach while on vacation this summer, Rosa left for Italy with Speaker Pelosi on a flight that cost taxpayers over $200,000.00. This "Business trip" included visiting the Vatican, lots of Museums, sight seeing and yes the occasional cognac and steak dinner with a famous politician.

Your blood should be boiling by now, but if its not let me remind you all of one more thing, her refusal to hold bankers accountable in Congress. While two Congressmen from CT were co-sponsoring the bill to audit the Federal Reserve, Derosa sided with former Golman Sachs executive Jim Himes in opposing the bill. She did this quietly since over 312 or most of Congress co-sponsored the bill without her. This should leave you wondering how her loyalty to bankers are in lockstep with those of Chris Dodd. Dodd made it clear by his resignation that he would rather quit the U.S. Senate than hold the very thieves who wrecked America Accountable.

Rosa Delauro's misguided leadership is one boondoggle of disrespect after the other, if she is not out in East Haven battling their local police department for arresting the nutty behavior of April Capone Almon, she is out fraternizing over some other feminist escapade that has nothing to do with the key issues facing America.

This week and in the photo above we witness again our incorrigible Congresswoman in yet another Feminist posture with her wildly unpopular travel buddy, Speaker Nancy Pelosi. During this widely protested and unwelcome visit to Connecticut Rosa made a point yet again to push her personal agenda while ignoring the wishes of her constituents who are rightfully upset with our nations Speaker.

Milford School Suspensions Decline To 16

Officials say the good news is that the number of city students being expelled from school dropped significantly, from 27 in 2007-08 to 16 during the most recent school year.

But the bad news is that the cases involving the expulsions “were more involved,” said Superintendent of Schools Harvey B. Polansky.

Five Joseph A. Foran High School students, one from Jonathan Law High School, and six Alternative Education High students were expelled for inappropriate behavior, officials said. Additionally, one Harborside Middle School student and two from West Shore Middle School were expelled, according to a report produced by school administrators. The annual expulsion report is mandated by the state.

The report details that a 17-year-old Foran student was expelled for one year last July for inappropriate sexual behavior in school; an Alternative Education student, also 17, was expelled in February for possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a weapon on school grounds, and an 18-year-old Law student was expelled in May for threatening via the Internet to shoot up the school.

Also, the report says, on June 10, two Foran students were expelled: one for one semester for igniting fireworks in the school, causing the building to be evacuated, and another for a school year for inappropriate and threatening text messaging.

Other students were expelled for threatening staff members, possession of marijuana at school, stealing and possession of stolen property, bullying and threatening, and threats made to students, the report says.

“The value of the expulsion report is it gives us knowledge of what the teachers and administrators have to face in the building,” said Board of Education Chairman David Hourigan, D-4. “It gives us a perspective as to what goes on during the day.”

Hourigan said it’s interesting that the total number of expulsion cases has declined since last year. He said the state has amended the expulsion law, which makes it more likely students will be expelled.

The law previously allowed administrators to suspend students five times, for up to 10 days or a total of 50 days, before expulsion, but now students can only be suspended for 10 days before they have to be expelled.

As for the severity of the cases, Hourigan said, unfortunately “these things happen year after year.”

“Our hope is the number of incidents decreases as the kids get wiser,” Hourigan added.

ORIGINAL STORY BY BRIAN MCREADY