Stephens is new Milan police chief
Veteran cop follows family tradition

After 17 years on the Milan Police force, Jerry Stephens has been promoted to chief of police. Stephens is a fourth-generation law enforcement officer who said he has never had any question about what he would do with his life and career. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

By Jim Tiffin
Staff Writer

This undated photo shows Milan Police Chief Jerry Stephens sitting on a police motorcycle with his father, Jesse Stephens. (Courtesy Photo)

MILAN — Long-time Milan Police veteran Lt. Jerry Stephens, has been named police chief here.

Stephens was interviewed late Friday night following a long board of trustees meeting and was offered the position following a lengthy interview by the members of the board.

Mayor Tom Ortega said Stephens has lived in Milan for years, and has the background and ability to do the job.

Stephens was the interim chief for the past year.

Trustee Vivian Brumbelow said, during the interview, Stephens talked about Neighborhood Watch and community policing, and that cinched it for her.

"When he looked the entire board straight in the eye and told us he could do the job, I knew he was ready," Ortega said.

Village Manager Carlos Montoya said Stephens' professionalism, dedication and loyalty to the village have been first rate and that the selection of Stephens is an excellent one for the community.

Stephens said this is the culmination of a career goal he set 16 years ago when he first became a police officer in Milan.

"I knew early that I wanted to be a police officer and when I was given the opportunity to do that here I knew that someday I wanted to be the chief," Stephens said.

Vision for the department
His vision for the department includes organized neighborhood watch areas, increasing the use and knowledge of technology, and adding a full time investigator and patrol officers.

That vision begins immediately as he is already seeking to name a full time investigator from within the department and is looking at how to increase the department's use of computer technology by placing computers in police units.

Those computers will allow car-to car and dispatch to car communication, removing much of the previously over-the-air radio signal traffic to more secure channels.

"The bad guys all have scanners and know our police codes. This allows us to communicate without them being able to intercept our signals.

"A bicycle patrol, with two officers is also planned for the department. It will allow the residents to have more contact with our officers," Stephens said.

Many people are wary of approaching a police unit but not a bicycle officer, he said.

Bicycle patrols also are able to be more stealthy and night at are not as visible as a well marked white police car.

Drugs and domestics
The top two problem areas faced by Milan police officers daily are drugs and domestic violence, Stephens said.

Burglaries are a part of that because they are almost universally linked in some way to drugs, he said.

"Our department has been doing 'community policing' since (the concept), started," he said.

"The neighborhood watch program is where neighbors get to know each other well and when someone is away, you have their keys feed the dog, water the plants, mow the grass and pick up the newspapers so no one knows that neighbor is on vacation."

This program will help reduce those drug-linked burglaries that are occurring, he said.

See a strange car lurking about and know it doesn't belong there, make a call, that is part of the program as well.

School police, task force
"I want to have an officer begin making a visit two to three times a week to Milan Elementary School," Stephens said. "Talk to the principal, get to know the teachers and go into the classrooms."

This adds a lot of visibility and is part of the community policing effort as well, he said.

In other communities this approach has also helped defray problems, often before they get out of hand.

Placing an officer from the department on the state's gang task force is also a goal, Stephens said.

That allows more communication and brings information back to the department.

Change is under way
Finally, adding another five officers to the 10 already budgeted is a major goal as well, he said.

The village is changing things and will be adding businesses and that will bring more jobs and residents, he said.

That means more officers will be needed.

Retaining those officers already on duty is one of the things that Ortega said he wants Stephens to manage.

"We train young officers and lose them to other agencies," he said.

"Grants Police, the Sheriff's department, the state, are all understaffed and it is a competitive situation. Even the casinos offer more money.

"I would like to see Jerry train these young officers and keep them around. With his innovations and new ideas I think that is possible," Ortega said.

— To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin@blackmesa-isp.net.