Milford Narrows Police Chief Candidates To Six

MILFORD, MA — A town committee that's working to hire Milford's next police chief is nearing the end of its search.

The chief search committee has narrowed the number of candidates down from a pool of 18, and will begin conducting oral interviews with the final six this week, according to search committee chair and Milford Select Board member Paul Mazzuchelli.

The search committee began its work in February by hiring the firm Public Safety Consultants to conduct the search. After identifying the 18 initial candidates, the search committee narrowed the pool down to 10 after reviewing answers to written questions.

The committee is working to find a finalist by September, which is when interim Milford Chief James Falvey is set to retire. Mazzuchelli said the public will get to meet the three or four final candidates when they go in front of the select board for interviews.

Falvey is the town's third chief since 2019, and took over after the select board fired the last chief.

In 2019, the select board voted not to renew a contract with former chief Tom O'Loughlin — who is now chair of the select board — after almost two decades on the job. O'Loughlin has sued the town over that affair, a legal matter that's still in court.

Michael Pighetti took over for O'Loughlin in what was supposed to be a temporary assignment. But after a candidate from the Baltimore Police Department was selected for the job and then declined, the select board offer the job to Pighetti.

After about a year in the job, the select board placed Pighetti on administrative leave to investigate the circumstances of a January 2021 traffic stop he initiated. In October 2021, the select board fired Pighetti over that stop. Falvey took over on a two-year contract.

The Milford Police Chief Selection Committee will meet next on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. to conduct oral interviews with the six semifinalists. That work will take place in executive session, according to the agenda.