Milford police chief is demoted

By Frances Ruth Harris
MILFORD — Milford Borough’s Police Chief Jack DaSilva has been demoted.
DaSilva said he was shocked to learn on Nov. 13 that the borough council will not renew his contract. Mayor Sean Strub, acting borough president Meagen Kameen, and borough council member Frank Tarquinio gave him the news during the borough’s monthly safety meeting — originally scheduled on Nov. 6, the day before the election, and rescheduled to Nov. 13.
He said he doesn’t know what happened and was surprised to get the news just before Christmas.
The assistant chief, Salvatore Pinzone, will become acting chief on Jan. 1. DaSilva will become a police officer.
DaSilva said he began with the borough in 1999 under a two-year grant. When the grant ran out, he went to Westfall, where he served from 2001 to 2002. In 2003, DaSilva returned to the borough as corporal, moved up to assistant chief, and finally chief.
He said he received no negative comments on his performance during all the years he worked for the borough under previous mayors. Then, he said, Sean Strub arrived as mayor “for a year and some change.” Strub, Kameen, and Tarquinio told him there were some problems with "administration," and nothing more, he said.
Strub responded in an email: "Chief DaSilva's contract for his service as chief expires on Dec. 31, 2017, and the Council has chosen not to renew that contract. We thank Chief DaSilva for his service to the borough for the past 15 years as an officer and, since 2015, in the Chief's role. Going forward, the council and mayor believe new leadership is needed to achieve our recruitment, enforcement and community objectives. Throughout the first part of 2018, the borough council and mayor will evaluate in a deliberate manner the options for providing leadership to the Milford Police Department. From Jan. 1, 2018, Chief Officer DaSilva will continue to serve residents as a full-time police officer."
DaSilva said he’s happy to continue with the borough “as janitor, patrolman, whatever title they give me, as long as I can continue to serve the people in the borough. Happiness is working in the borough. I have many friends in the borough.”