Milford Police Department prepares to settle into new station, increases community engagement

MILFORD, Del.- “It’s for the community. They approved the referendum. For us, it’s yours,” Mayor Campbell said.

Tuesday was the beginning of a new chapter for the Milford Police Department. After 18 months of construction, they opened the doors to their new police station.

Police Chief Cecilia Ashe said the more than 24,000 square foot facility will help them remain in compliance with state and national certifications. “That requires us to house juveniles and females separate which was a major issue in the old department and really highlighted the need for us to get to the national best standards,” Chief Ashe said.

The station includes a state-of-the-art kitchen, fitness center, and additional interview and meeting spaces to increase their level of service. “In the old building, we were busting at the seams and all the officers were stacked on top of each other. This was very well thought out about not only what we have currently but what we would look like in the future as this city continues to grow,” Chief Ashe said.

One of the unique features of the facility is the community room. It’s something Mayor Campbell said was important to bridge the gap between residents and law enforcement. “Think about it, most police departments within the communities have people who are not happy with police officers,” Mayor Campbell said.  “People appreciate the police here in Milford, we have great response times, and we are very courteous. That’s the key.”

The old facility was built more than four decades ago, serving just 18 officers at the time. Now, the new building will house 37 officers and serve upwards of 13,000 residents. “When I came in with this administration, we had three vacancies and were able to fill all of them because we have 67 applicants. I think when people are looking for an agency, they want to know that there’s that family atmosphere. We want to promote that,” Chief Ashe said.

That new facility will also help expand the department’s Behavioral Health Unit. MPD was the first agency in the Delaware to incorporate the unit. A mental health physician can ride alongside an on-duty officer to provide de-escalation training and advise how to identify behavioral health issues.

Director Jenna Haines told 47ABC that with the new space they can bring on more clinicians and expand their hours. “In a perfect world, the more contact we have with someone the less likely they are to recidivate or cause some other concerns. They’re loving that we’re being able to get people the help they need and then we can in turn limit police contact,” Haines said.

Haines added that the new facility give also gives them more private spaces to meet with the people they come in contact with.

Gym equipment was donated to the department by Planet Fitness, an act that Chief Ashe said shows how much the community is supporting the department.

If you want a closer look, the department is hosting open houses on Wednesday, December 13th from 1:00 -5:00 p.m. and Thursday, December 14th from 4:00-8:00 p.m.

Operations will officially begin in the new facility on December 18th.