MILFORD — Lt. Kenneth L. Brown will be Milford Police Department’s next chief.
The mayor and city council unanimously voted to approve his appointment Wednesday.
Lt. Brown, a 30-year-veteran of the Milford police, will be sworn in at the Jan. 11 city council meeting at 7 p.m.
He succeeds Chief E. Keith Hudson, who announced his retirement in August.
“I am honored by the appointment to the position of chief of police by the city of Milford,” Lt. Brown said.
Lt. Kenneth L. Brown
“I am enthusiastic about leading a great team and will continue to bring the best police services to the community. I want to thank Mayor Shupe and city council for the opportunity and confidence they have in me.
“I am grateful to Chief Hudson and in particular, to the police officers and employees in my department that encouraged and supported me throughout this process.”
Lt. Brown said he hopes to identify ways the Milford Police Department can be more involved with the community.
“It is very common for the community to view their officers as ‘That cop that drives by in a police car,’” he said.
“I want people to know who our officers are and I want our officers to know who our people are and what is important to the residents and business people in this community. We can only find that out by being involved.”
Lt. Brown said that while Milford’s officers are busy handling calls, reports and other incidents, he wants to encourage them to make community policing functions part of their standards.
This will allow the officers to focus on areas they are interested in and are good at, in hopes of increased efficiency, he said.
Chief Hudson said, “Brown’s 30 years of experience with the Milford Police Department, when combined with his strong leadership skills and his personal commitment to public service, makes him the best choice to lead the Milford Police Department into the future.”
Lt. Brown is a Milford native who always wanted to be a police officer, according to a news release. He started with the Milford police in 1985 as a part-time dispatcher and was later hired as a police officer, graduating from the Delaware State Police Academy in May 1988.
In July 1990, Lt. Brown was promoted to detective corporal, handled major crimes as an investigator. In April 1996 he was again promoted to detective sergeant and assigned the tasks as the supervisor of the Criminal Investigation Division.
In June 2007, he was promoted to lieutenant and became the commander of Criminal Investigations, Training Division and Seasonal Officers.
Lt. Brown is a Delaware State Police Academy certified instructor who teaches many disciplines in the police field, including firearms instruction. He has attended numerous homicide courses, including the Delaware State Police Homicide Conference, for more than 17 years. He has been trained by many nationally recognized instructors, including Dr. Henry Lee and Vernon Geberth, both of whom participated in the O.J. Simpson trial.
He also has attended a variety of police supervision schools, including the Police Executive Development Program through Penn State University.
Mayor Bryan W. Shupe said, “The quality and reputation of the candidates that applied for the position of the city of Milford Police Chief speak volumes about the prestige the Milford Police Department carries throughout the state of Delaware and beyond.
“I was proud to see Lt. Kenneth Brown of the Milford Police Department excel among those selected candidates. His experiences throughout his career and his vision for the future of the department confirms his integrity, credibility, honesty and ability to serve the community with dignity and respect.”
Mayor Shupe added, “Lt. Brown has been a critical member of the Milford Police Department for three decades, serving many of those years in positions that reinforce his strong leadership skills. He has been a valuable asset to the City and I look forward to working with him in his new position as police chief.”