KILLINGTON – In June of 2013, the Town of Killington officially transitioned from a constable department to a police department when Whit Montgomery was named as its first chief of police. Since that time, the town has enjoyed the benefits of this transition, the most recent being a financial benefit for residents, according to a town of Killington news release, July 22.
For years, homeowners and businesses in Killington were required to pay an annual $50 fee to the Vermont State Police alarm administrator to cover alarm response in the town. Since the Killington Police Department operates as a law enforcement agency with the Vermont State Police, that annual fee is now waived. Now alarm response is covered locally more than 50 percent of the time.
“This is just one of the many ways our new police department is benefiting our community,” said Chief Montgomery. “We are a strong believer of, and have introduced a greater focus on community-oriented policing. This is a joint venture that brings together the police and the community in an attempt to solve neighborhood problems, quality of life issues and prevent crime. You can see this work in our Neighborhood Watch, our mentoring program within the elementary school, drug and alcohol awareness, and senior citizen crime prevention, just to name a few.”
Montgomery said resort policing requires a unique perspective, understanding and philosophy. “We understand the unique challenges a resort town can bring to law enforcement and the balanced approach the police department and its officers must employ. We rely heavily on our community-oriented policing techniques, and a focus on customer service.”
The Killington Police Department is a part-time law enforcement organization, responsible for over 54 miles of roads, 3,171 tax accounts and up to 20,000 people on a busy weekend (winter/summer). Its stated purpose is to fulfill the law enforcement needs of its residents, visitors and businesses with the highest degree of professionalism and integrity, and to protect the inherent rights of those who live and vacation in freedom and safety within the community.
The KPD works with the Vermont State Police, police departments of other Vermont municipalities, and other law enforcement agencies to foster co-operation in the provision of police services.
Killington, home to Killington and Pico ski resorts, is a resort community located at the crossroads of U.S. Route 4 and Vermont 100. While the year round population is under 1,000 people, the town has over 2,500 second home owners and plays hosts to over ten thousand tourists on any given weekend.
