New State Law Will Guide Milford Police Chief Selection

MILFORD, MA — A new state law signed by Gov. Charlie Baker this month will have ramifications for future police chiefs in Milford, requiring the Board of Selectmen to abide by the town's police chief selection committee.

Milford began searching for a new police chief in the summer of 2019 when former chief Tom O'Loughlin — now a Select Board member — stepped down. Chief Michael Pighetti took over on an interim basis while the Police Chief Selection Review Committee looked for a permanent replacement.

The search committee whittled down a list of finalists to three, and the Select Board picked Baltimore police commander James Rhoden Jr. for the job last March — but he declined the job. Later in March, the Board of Selectmen voted on giving Pighetti a three-year contract rather than offer the job to the other two finalists selected by the search committee.

But months before at the October 2019 Town Meeting, members voted unanimously to request a change in state law requiring the Select Board to only pick candidates "from among such list of finalists as recommended by the Police Chief Selection Review Committee."

The article was then passed to State Rep. Brian Murray for approval in the state Legislature, and Baker signed it on Jan. 11. The law took effect when it was passed, which means it will only apply to future police chief decisions.

Apart from Rhoden, the police chief selection committee picked New Canaan, Conn., Chief Leon Krolikowski, and Falmouth police Capt. Brian Reid as the other two finalists.