Albany, NY — Milton Arroyo has stepped down from his position on the Albany Community Police Review Board following revelations that he was dismissed from a Florida sheriff’s office in 2017 after allegations of inappropriate conduct with students.
Arroyo, a former New York State Police trooper, was working as a School Resource Officer at Fivay High School in Pasco County, Florida, when he was fired for sending inappropriate messages to students on Snapchat. These incidents were reported to authorities in 2017, leading to his removal from the sheriff’s office.
In response to Arroyo’s resignation, the Albany Common Council issued a statement confirming that both the Chair of the Community Police Review Board (CPRB) and the Council are in agreement with accepting his immediate resignation. The statement also emphasized Albany’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy and pledged to strengthen the vetting process for candidates applying to serve on city boards and commissions.
According to reports from CBS Tampa, Arroyo used social media to engage in inappropriate conversations with students and also accessed official databases to gather personal information about women. While one report claims Arroyo asked students to perform sexual acts and take inappropriate photos, the local sheriff’s office did not consider these actions to have crossed into criminal conduct.
Arroyo served as the School Resource Officer at Fivay High School between November 2016 and April 2017. The investigation began after a parent complained about his behavior, and he was placed on administrative leave. In June 2017, he was officially fired. Later that year, he was arrested for illegally accessing a law enforcement database to search for information on women.
The incident has raised questions regarding the screening and appointment process for those serving on local boards, with the Albany Common Council now working to implement more stringent checks.
