Chief of Police, Milford, New Hampshire

Frederick G. Douglas

I was appointed to the position of Chief of Police in 2000 by the Board of Selectmen after going through a selection process with approximately 20 qualified candidates, which was narrowed down to 5 finalists who ultimately competed for the position. The Town of Milford has a population of 14,200. The Police Department has 2 Captains (1 Support Captain and 1 Operations Captain), 3 Patrol Sergeants, 2 Detectives, 1 Prosecutor, 18 Full-Time Patrol Officers, 3 Part-Time Patrol Officers, 6 Crossing Guards, 4 Full-Time Administrative Assistants, 5 Part-Time Administrative Assistants and 1 K-9 Unit, all under the supervision of the Chief of Police.

The primary function of the Police Department is to enforce all State and Local laws and ordinances in compliance with Federal and State laws and Town ordinances and policies, and to provide related emergency and non-emergency services to the community. Subject to such written operational guidelines as adopted by the appointing authority, the Chief of Police has the authority to direct and control all employees of the department in the normal course of duty and shall be responsible for the efficient and economical use of all of the department’s equipment. The Chief performs highly responsible administrative work in planning, organizing and directing the actions of the Milford Police Department and is expected to provide leadership, maintain appropriate discipline and articulate the vision and values of the department. The Chief of Police is considered to be a member, along with the heads of other municipal departments, of the Town’s management team. Under the general direction of the Town Administrator, the Chief of Police operates with considerable independence and personal judgment with work reviewed by conferences, reports, departmental performance and employee evaluations.

DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT
“Our primary mission is to enforce the laws of society, maintain order within the community, protect life and property, and to assist the public at large in a manner consistent with the rights and dignity of all persons as provided for by the law under the Constitution of the United States and the State of New Hampshire."

The Chief of Police in Milford, NH is responsible for the following duties: 

Establishes goals, objectives and policies for the Police Department and continually evaluates its effectiveness and responsiveness. 
Directs, coordinated and keeps apprised of all departmental functions. 
Establishes a flow of communication and delegation of authority, reviews activity to determine problem areas and takes corrective action, conducts staff meetings, reviews schedules and employee performance, solves personnel problems, and arranges for the investigation of any reported or apparent employee misconduct. 

Cooperates with other Town, State and Federal officials in activities where the Police Department is involved. 

Represents the department with civic organizations, schools and other community groups and with the media. 

Develops and presents annual budget requests and administers the department’s budget. 

Advises and assists department personnel in difficult investigations and participates in more difficult police problems, taking charge at the scene of emergencies when required. 

Inspects the work of employees in the station and in the field. 

Establishes and maintains a training program consistent with departmental goals and objectives. 

Must be capable of performing line police work in an emergency, on view of a crime being committed, or when required to assist other officers, including sufficient health and physical fitness to make physical custody arrests and participate in search and rescue operations. 

The Chief of Police is considered a salaried, exempt official. Work is normally performed five (5) days a week during normal business hours but the Chief is expected to adjust his/her hours to attend community meetings, assume command at the scenes of major emergencies, and provide occasional announced and unannounced inspections of the station and of units in the field.

A lot of my time is spent seeing that the goals/objectives are met in the day-to-day operations of the department. Our business is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week, 365 days a year operation. There are approximately 43 full and part-time employees that I am responsible for. 

A typical day usually involves meeting and talking with a number of different people. Our department is divided into 3 major divisions, the Patrol Division overseen by the Operations Commander (Captain), the Detective Division overseen by the Support Commander (Captain) and the Administrative Division, which I directly supervise. We also deploy 1 School Resource Officer (SRO) within the school system through a Federal Grant Program. I meet daily with the 2 captains to discuss any activities or problems, which may arise in the daily course of business, and to address any internal issues that may arise. I also make the time to talk with the employees of the department, to keep in contact with their issues and concerns. 

I also meet with the Town Administrator and Board of Selectmen approximately every other week to address issues of concern to them and advise them of progress on police programs and issues. 

The Milford Police Department instills the “Community Policing Concept”. It is a major goal of our department and a mind set for the employees to do as much as they can for the community and citizens. We have a “Trading Card Program” that introduces the younger children to the officers. We also have a “Good Morning Milford” Program that keeps us in daily contact with senior citizens of the community who choose to participate. The School Resource Officer is a valuable asset within the school system and runs the “DARE” education in the schools. We make ourselves available and solicit input from all community organizations.

Several hours a day are spent making/returning phone calls, dealing with E-Mail and sorting through always increasing paperwork. Contact with the general public, employees and other town departments is necessary to keep the town running smoothly. There are also meetings to contend with, within the department and within the town.

Normally, I do not respond to calls for service in the field. However, I do respond to major incidences to help evaluate the situation and am available as back up should the need arise. I am also responsible for making press releases and meeting with the media, as the public relations contact person for our agency.

Police work covers a broad spectrum of duties. Every day is different from the one before. You encounter people from every walk of life. Everyone has a story. It’s part of what makes this job “special”.

I am a member of the Hillsborough County Chiefs of Police Association. 

Biography

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