Politics & Government
Another Two Year RST Contract Blessed
A draft Montville Public Safety Plan says the Resident State Trooper program should be replaced with a dedicated municipal department with a professional police chief
Written and reported by Ellyn Santiago.
The Town Council this week authorized Mayor Ron McDaniel to contract with the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for the Resident State Trooper program for another two years.
The 147-page Public Safety Plan presented to the town by Florida-based Almont Associates suggested, among its 144 recommendations, the town move to eliminate the program and have a dedicated municipal department with a professional chief of police.
In its report, Almont said Montville has outgrown the RST program, which was created for towns without police forces. The consultant suggested the town would be better served with a professional police chief. Almont shares its “concern” about the elected mayor being not only in charge of human resources and the town’s chief contract negotiator, but being its chief of police as well. Almont strongly recommends the town transition to a municipal police department managed by a professional police administrator.
In 2011, the town paid $144,000 for the program. The RST, currently CSP Sgt. Martin ‘Marty’ Martinez, is paid $123,000.
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