The Milford Police Department has a new use of force policy. Here are the details

Tom Benoit, The Milford Daily News
·2 min read
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MILFORD — The Select Board has unanimously approved a use of force policy for the Police Department that puts it in compliance with new state policing standards.

The policy, which was presented by acting Police Chief James Falvey during a board meeting March 13, was created as part of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission certification.

The POST Commission was created by the criminal justice reform acts of 2020, and was started to improve policing and improve public trust in law enforcement.

Deputy Police Chief John Sanchioni said the new policy was created through collaboration between Falvey and deputies. It outlines the Police Department's guidelines for using force and the process to be followed immediately afterward.

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"Sworn personnel of this department may use lethal force only when the officer reasonably believes that the action is in defense of any human life in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury, and when de-escalation techniques have failed or are not feasibly," the policy states.

The policy requires officers to write reports whenever they discharge a firearm (except for training or recreational purposes); take an action that results in, or is alleged to result in, the injury or death of another person; or apply force through lethal or less-lethal weapons and weaponless force at a level required to be reported.

Officer wellness also a part of the policy

Officer wellness considerations are also in the new policy, with a section providing guidelines meant to be uniformly applied following an incident involving an officer that results in serious injury or death.

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Select Board members praised the policy during their meeting earlier this month.

"I think you did a fantastic job," said Select Board Chair Tom O'Loughlin, a former longtime Milford police chief. "This policy looks out for the best interest of the general public, particularly groupings of the general public that are most vulnerable, and protects the interests of the officers and then the community generally."

The policy went into effect immediately after the Select Board's approval.

This article originally appeared on The Milford Daily News: Milford Select Board approves new use of force policy for police