WILTON – Selectmen have ordered an investigation into allegations of poor work by the town’s police force after a three-hour closed-door meeting, District Attorney Norm Croteau said Friday.

“The selectboard has instructed myself and the town manager to contact the DA and to go on a fact-finding intitiative,” recently hired police Chief Dennis Brown said after the meeting.

Selectman Paul Gooch said Friday night that Brown, Town Manager Peter Nielsen, the DA’s office and others involved will conduct the investigation.

Those participating in the closed-to-the-public executive session included the town’s attorney, members of the Police Department, a police union liaison and representatives from Croteau’s office. The meeting came nearly a month after Croteau sent a letter instructing the Police Department to send all juvenile sex-crimes cases to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department for investigation.

The Jan. 25 letter cited concerns the four-man, one-chief department was inadequately or inappropriately responding to calls for service.

Prior to Friday’s meeting, members of the community and representatives from organizations serving sexual assault and domestic violence victims explained their own concerns about the Wilton police to the Board of Selectmen.

“There have been issues for 20 years in Wilton with the Police Department’s response to domestic violence,” said Aimee DesRoches, the Franklin County advocate for the Abused Women’s Advocacy Project. “Because of the treatment of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in the past, current victims are afraid and reluctant to call police in Wilton,” Judy Rawlings, executive director of Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services, said.

“When victims call the hot line, the general protocol is we ask if they want to report (the assault),” Rawlings said. “Many won’t report, because of their own past experiences or the experiences of friends or family, or because of the general reputation.”

Police have been inappropriate and unsupportive of the victims, Rawlings said. “It makes a bad situation worse.” And in light of the allegations that investigations by the department often aren’t thorough or timely enough to be properly prosecuted, victims often don’t bother calling.

It’s going to take some major changes to turn the reputation around, she said. “There has got to be a change. This has to be important to the citizens of Wilton.”

Chief Brown has acknowledged at least some of the concerns have merit. The department recently completed a three-hour training session and covered issues from proper report writing to preliminary investigative techniques.

“The issues are correctable,” Brown said. “It’s not an impossible task, but it’s going to be a difficult task.”

In executive session, the discussion covered a lot of ground, Farmington-based Assistant District Attorney Jim Andrews said.

“We had a very, very frank discussion with a lot of give-and-take,” Andrews said. “I thought it went very well, and it hopefully cleared the air on a lot of issues.”

Selectman Gooch agreed. “It was a productive meeting,” he said. “It wasn’t real comfortable, but I just think there will be a resolution. Everybody will do their part, and hopefully come out better for it on the other end.”

It’s too soon to know yet what will come of the meeting or the resulting investigation, which should start immediately, Nielsen said.

“The DA spoke to us in more general terms about the various problems they’ve noticed and had knowledge of,” Nielsen said. The problems have led to an inability to prosecute many Wilton cases, he said. Some of the problems include poor investigative techniques, poor reports, a general untimeliness and lack of detail, he said.

“We’re working to establish the facts, to determine what’s going to happen next,” Nielsen said. “There’s a contract between the police officers and the town – a union contract. If there’s a disciplinary issue that comes out, the contract stipulates how it is to proceed.”

Nielsen said the investigation would take time.

“I think we’re at the beginning, rather than at the end,” he said. “It’s clear it’s going to require a lot more work before we’re there.” But he and the selectmen are committed to providing the town with the best police department possible. “We’re going to get there” Nielsen said. “We’re just in the throes of determining how.”

The way the department operates on a daily basis would have to change substantially before juvenile investigations are returned to the department, Andrews said.

“I hope the changes in the Police Department make it so that people are safe in their own home in Wilton and that they feel comfortable – so victims can actually call them and get the protection they deserve,” DesRoches, the victim advocate, said.