Police to start community patrols
NEW MILFORD — Residents and guests at events on the green this summer will see a police officer patrolling on foot or bike as part of a community policing program.
The town recently received a $10,000 grant from the state JAG Local Violent Crime Prevention Grant Program. The money will be used to cover the officer’s additional hours to patrol. It begins Memorial Day weekend and run through the summer.
Engaging with the community was one of Police Chief Spencer Cerruto’s initiatives when he joined the department in October. It was also one of the reasons he was hired, Mayor Pete Bass said at the time.
“By utilizing a community policing approach, we want our children and their families to understand that New Milford Police Department is a source for safety information and assistance,” Cerruto said in a press release. “By opening channels of communication and establishing relationships, community members will be more apt to advise police officers of suspected or potential risk behaviors that, if unaddressed, may lead to violent crime activity.”
Officers will actively interact with businesses, community members and visitors in the downtown area and nearby parks. The department will also open a police substation on Railroad Street and have marine patrols engaging with those on Candlewood Lake, Cerruto said in a news release.
He said the officers will focus on interacting with children in town.
When the grant was presented to Town Council, grant writer Tammy Reardon said the community policing program would probably have one officer interacting with the public for four hours three days a week, ideally Friday through Sunday when the downtown and parks are busiest. She said the officer would be on overtime and would respond to a call only if it was an emergency.
Cerruto thanked grant writer Tammy Reardon for her help in obtaining the grant.
“Her help in navigating the system and filing the paperwork was important to our success,” he said. “I am always looking for creative ways to fund programs that are beneficial to the safety of our town.”