Milton police committee holds first meeting
Milton’s new police accountability committee held its first meeting Sept. 25, as the committee members met with the officers of Milton Police Department to advise the department on issues regarding policy, training and community service.
Establishing a board was mandated through a 2023 act of the General Assembly, House Bill 206, which reformed an existing state ordinance related to the training of police officers. All police departments in the state were required to set up their own board, which must comprise at least one religious leader and members of the community who have been impacted – either directly or via family members – by the juvenile or adult criminal justice system.
The committee’s first order of business was to select its chair, the Rev. Todd Bean. John Hubbard was named as secretary.
Chief Derrick Harvey then introduced assembled members of the department and ran through his goals for the committee, namely creating a dialogue with members of the community to help make the department better. Harvey said the department is in a good place, with 12 full-time officers and a supportive town administration.
The main topic of discussion was the department’s future home. The town has purchased land on Magnolia Street that is pegged for a new police station, although financing still needs to be worked out. Harvey said he plans to take the committee members on a tour of the existing building on Front and Union streets.
“You might need a hard hat,” he joked.
Harvey said the department has outgrown the existing building, and the cost of a new facility, which would also host some town administrative functions such as town council meetings, is estimated to be $16 million to $20 million. He said one of the functions of the committee would be to help determine what kind of a building the town would like to build.
The committee is mandated to have at least one meeting every quarter. Besides touring the current police station, Harvey said he would also like to work with individual committee members on additional training. Committee members are required by law to complete 20 hours of training with the police department, which could include ride-alongs or going to a citizens’ police academy.
Besides Bean and Hubbard, the committee also includes Jackie Briscoe, Frank Cafone and Betty McGrath.
Ryan Mavity covers Milton and the court system. He is married to Rachel Swick Mavity and has two kids, Alex and Jane. Ryan started with the Cape Gazette all the way back in February 2007, previously covering the City of Rehoboth Beach. A native of Easton, Md. and graduate of Towson University, Ryan enjoys watching the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals and Baltimore Orioles in his spare time.
