WILTON — Wilton Chief of Police Ethan Kyes reported to the Wilton Board of Selectpersons on Tuesday, Jan. 23, the department would begin implementing a new speed detail with a radar provided by a speed detail grant. Selectperson Keith Swett had inquired about the grant, to which Kyes stated they had just received the radar and it would be installed the following week.

The grant comes after the board saw regular appearances from Wilton resident Nick Santora, who has repeatedly reported speeding incidents on Route 4 to both the police department and the Select Board.

According to Kyes, the radar will be mounted on the front and back of a designated police cruiser specifically for the grant program and the grant is provided by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration.

In other business, Kyes reported multiple training programs completed by members of the Wilton Police Department in 2023, with Sergeant Gerald Maccione acquiring his intermediate law enforcement certificate and becoming the department’s primary field training officer. He also joined the Franklin County Critical Incident Stress Management Team, becoming certified in providing care to individuals in a crisis.

Kyes also reported that, on top of all of that, Maccione also carried the largest caseload of criminal cases in the department, as well as attending career courses for tactical movements, undercover narcotics operations, ADA case prosecution and more. Maccione also wrote a number of grants, including the speed detail grant and other grants to increase security and reduce costs spent on equipment.

Kyes reported that two officers left the department this year, with one changing careers and the other returning to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. One new hire Officer Cody Henry has been with the department for roughly seven weeks. Kyes added the department has received applications for the open position in the department.

Chairperson Tiffany Maiuri asked Kyes if the assigned cruisers were benefitting the department. Kyes reported seeing a significant improvement with the reduction of maintenance, such as oil changes, on police cruisers.

“It’s pretty good when the Highway Department came in saying they haven’t seen us in a while because we haven’t been bringing in cruisers in for repair [as much],” Kyes stated. He also reported that every officer also has their own rifle, reducing the need to constantly adjust the scope from officer to officer.

Vice-Chair Mike Wells asked Kyes how frequently the department does firearm training. Kyes stated they are obligated by the state to do firearms training at least once a year by the state, but they try to as much as they can. Currently, the department has an active shooter training scheduled for April.

Kyes added the lack of a proper firearms instructor hinders the amount of training they can engage with as a department. He stated they have one officer interested in the position, but the Maine Criminal Justice Academy is preventing this from happening.

“We have an officer that wants to do it,” he stated, “but the academy will not let him do it because he’s not out of the academy for three years and they will not budge on that.”

Kyes added the department had run into issues in the past with not being able to supply an officer a firearm in their first week without an instructor. “But the academy will not help us out on that.”

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