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Milton not rehiring chief

MILTON — After weeks of speculation that the city of Milton would rehire police Chief Tom Gilland following his retirement in January, the Milton Police Commission has decided to go “in another direction,” Chairman Stephen Tupper said this morning.

The commission is looking into hiring an interim chief who could study the organization and policies of the police department and assist in recruitment of a permanent chief, Tupper announced after a closed meeting of the police commission.

The department has not offered the position of chief to Gilland, he said. When asked if that means the commission does not intend to offer the position to Gilland, he said: “I don’t want to close that door, but at this point, we’re not offering him a position, the position I should say, of chief.”

Tupper declined to discuss why the commission decided not to rehire Gilland, saying only the commission wants to go in another direction.

Gilland was present for part of the closed session but only stayed about 10 minutes. He declined to comment as he left.

The commission announced it was considering rehiring Gilland shortly after his retirement Jan. 7. In order to continue receiving retirement benefits, Gilland had to wait 30 days before entering into a contract with the city.

Gilland’s eligibility date, Feb. 7, came and went with no action from the police commission. The commission met once in late February without taking any action. Meanwhile, the Milton city council discussed in two closed sessions a contract it could offer Gilland if the commission rehired him.

Since Gilland’s retirement, the department’s two sergeants, John Conger and Jim Schumacher, have been leading day-to-day operations. The commission appointed one of its members, David Ostrowski, to serve as a liaison between the commission and department on major issues such as discipline and spending.

The commission has a specific person in mind for interim chief, Tupper said, but he declined to name the person. The candidate has experience in law enforcement and education and would bring “what we believe to be the needed skills to the process” of finding an interim chief, Tupper said.

The interim chief also could launch a study of the department’s organization and policies, Tupper said.

Tupper declined to name any specific issues that spurred the need for a study, but the department has been in a state of flux since Gilland retired. It is down two full-time officers because of a city hiring freeze, and the officers’ union is in contract negotiations with the city.

In February, a hit-and-run accident that went hours without investigation prompted Conger to send a memo to officers detailing procedure in conflict-of-interest cases.

The interim chief also could help find a permanent chief for the department, Tupper said. He said he wasn’t sure if the city will hire a private consulting firm to aid in the search as well.

The city solicited bids from private firms around the time of Gilland’s retirement.

The commission scheduled its next meeting for Thursday, March 20. Hiring an interim chief before that date would require a special meeting, City Attorney Mike Haas said.