Brookfield police have begun patrolling two Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority developments.

Police Chief Dan Faustino said Wednesday his department is working to square away final assignments and other operations for patrols at Hilltop Gardens on Addison Road and Valley West on Brookfield Avenue.

Last summer the authority awarded Brookfield police a three-year contract at $14,600 a year to patrol the apartment complexes. Police will spend 40 hours a month patrolling the properties, Faustino said.

Patrolman Scott Thompson is overseeing most of the project; interested members of the force will patrol, mostly on foot so they can handle service calls, make contacts with residents and address security concerns, the chief said.

Faustino said the authority didn't hire the police because of problems.

"TMHA wants to keep the area crime-free and keep potential problems from occurring on their site and spilling out into the neighborhood," Faustino said. "They have to provide a good quality of life for residents. People living there shouldn't have to put up with problems from other residents."

The authority will supply a used cruiser and pay for any specialized training for police.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Larissa Theodore at ltheodore@sharonherald.com