NEW
MILFORD -- In this town and many other smaller municipalities in the area,
police are most often needed for car crashes, burglaries, drug investigations,
and domestic assaults.
Occasionally,
though, there will be a bank robbery, a hostage situation, a shooting, even
murder.
For
those times, police departments want to be able to call on a select, highly
trained and well-equipped group of officers -- commonly known as SWAT teams --
with the resources needed to protect the public without endangering their own
lives.
How to
do that most effectively and economically appears to be open for interpretation
between area police administrations.
In New
Milford, the subject came to the forefront recently, after the town's
six-member Emergency
Services Unit team opted to disband over issues related to an
inability to fulfill a two-town agreement with the Brookfield
Police Department that prescribes protocols for deployment,
including equipment, staffing and training.
New
Milford Police Chief Shawn Boyne
said he understands the team's frustration. The former State Police
commander, with tactical response experience, said he sees the value in having
such a team; he actually expanded the three-member team that existed when he
arrived in New Milford 18 months ago to six members.
But he
and his current command staff have been tied up with other pressing
administrative and operational issues; first and foremost the department's
front-line response critical to everyday occurrences.
This
specialty team is only for what Boyne and other chiefs describe as
"low-frequency, high-risk events."
Boyne
gave assurances that the public is not at risk.
Were
there to be a need for a team, Boyne said, he need make just one call to deploy
either the state police or Danbury police.
New
Milford's team leader, Officer Steven Palmer,
and member Sgt. Earl Wheeler
deferred comments to Boyne.
Though
Boyne said he sees value in having a team, he said the department has been
stymied by limited staffing abilities -- a couple of officers assigned to the
team have been on extended leaves -- and a lack of forthcoming federal asset
forfeiture funds to properly equip them.
A
$26,000 van was paid for through asset forfeiture funds for such a purpose, but
the vehicle needs at least $10,000 in work to be operational for not only ESU
use, but other department services, Boyne said.
Then
there is the purchasing of specialty equipment -- high-powered rifles,
bullet-proof vests, protective head gear and surveillance devices -- that can
cost tens of thousands more, Boyne said.
Since
Boyne has been chief, the full New Milford/Brookfield team has been officially
deployed once -- to arrest suspects in a bank robbery.
Bethel
Police Chief Jeff Finch
said his department opted a few years back against joining New Milford and
Brookfield for a joint team, because his view was that such teams require
officers who regularly work together for a coordinated response.
Multi-town
teams can pose operational issues, and Finch determined that was not the best
option for Bethel. So his town has a five-member team, and if need be will call
on Danbury or the state police for back-up assistance, he said.
Brookfield
Police Chief Robin Montgomery
said he would be open to resuming a relationship with New Milford, if and when
Boyne is ready to do so.
Boyne
said he wants time to review the policies and agreement.
"If
we're going to have a team," he said, "I want them to be properly
equipped and properly trained, and we're not there yet."