WILTON — Five local police officers now have authority to arrest people statewide who commit a crime in Wilton.
The recent request by police Chief Heidi Wilcox was unanimously granted by the Board of Selectpersons after a brief discussion. It is solely for the purpose of arresting those who committed crimes in Wilton, she said.
Only full-time, academy-certified officers will make the arrests, she added. Those include herself, Sgt. Chad Abbott, Officers Derek Daley, Andrew Hardy and Courtney Krause.
The need to make arrests outside Wilton can occur in acts such as domestic violence, she said. When an incident occurs in the middle of the night and the violator heads for another jurisdiction, Wilton officers can go there and make the arrest.
It provides safety for the victim who may be in danger of the violator returning to Wilton perhaps armed, she said.
Now, the department notifies the police agency of that jurisdiction and may have to wait for those officers to come on duty the next morning.
Chairman Scott Taylor questioned whether it was a “gray area” within mutual coverage and thought more information was needed.
Police already assist other towns, such as Farmington and Jay, who Wilcox gave as examples of police departments that have authority to make outside arrests granted by their towns.
“We’re obligated to assist them, and we rely on that,” she said.
These situations provide an opportunity for officers to train together, work together and to learn about problem areas, she said.
When her officers help another town, they act under the authority of the other town’s police department.
Selectperson Tom Saviello felt the Wilton officers needed the ability to follow through on an arrest, especially with the rise of domestic violence cases.
Selectperson Tiffany Maiuri agreed that this provided for efficiency in handling such cases.
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