LETTER: 'Get All of the Facts First' On Milford Chief Issue

MILFORD, MA—The following was submitted by Donna Niro, Milford. Want to get in on the conversation? Email your letters to the editor to charlene.arsenault@patch.com.

In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” The issue of Police Chief [Thomas] O’Loughlin’s contract has created so much hostility, fueled by social media that I can no longer be silent.

Milford’s Board of Selectmen are elected officials, entrusted to oversee Town operations, and responsible for many Town positions, including the Police Chief. They are often faced with difficult, challenging decisions involving details that cannot immediately be disclosed. Unfortunately, the private nature of some decisions generates accusations of lack of transparency and “secret” executive sessions.

The contents of the March 2018 BOS letter that were agreed to and signed by Selectmen Walsh, Kingkade, and Buckley identified serious concerns relative to the Chief’s behavior. The BOS encouraged the Chief to take advantage of the employee assistance program and respectfully exercised discretion about the contents of the letter. The BOS have not received a response or corrective action plan.

In the court of public opinion, a group organizing a recall against Selectman Kingkade has been acting like judge and jury, without all of the facts. If we support their premise of guilty until proven innocent, then should an armed public safety official, with an alleged issue of drinking on the job, continue to serve? People are drawing conclusions with little information. It’s time for an independent investigation of the allegations against the leadership and operations of the Milford Police Department so decisions on all sides are based on facts and not rumor.