By Elizabeth F. McNamara
Police officer Paul Nahrgang, 50, the new temporary school resource officer at Cole Middle School, was convicted of misdemeanor assault in 2013 after video surveillance showed he had lunged at a prisoner at the EG police station and put his hands around the man’s neck. He replaces Humberto Montalban, himself arrested in July for cyber harassment.
Nahrgang’s conviction was expunged after a year for good behavior. Nahrgang, who was hired by the EGPD in 2003, returned to duty in East Greenwich in late 2013 but was demoted to the rank of patrolman after having been made a lieutenant in 2012.
Police Chief Steven Brown said the placement was temporary, depending on what happens to Montalban, who is on paid suspension (Montalban is due back in court for a pretrial hearing Oct. 8.). Brown said the contract with the police union ranks positions in terms of seniority and that Nahrgang was eligible for the SRO job.
Supt. Victor Mercurio said he did not know about Nahrgang’s past assault conviction until Channel 10 went to him looking for information. He said the placement was up to the police chief.
School resource officers have become an integral part of the fabric of both EGHS and Cole and they also visit the elementary schools. Nahrgang joined the EGPD in 2003. He started as a corrections officer. Nahrgang did not reply to an email seeking a comment.
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This is not a newsworthy or helpful article at all. Officer Paul has helped us more than once and he has been nothing but professional and compassionate. I have no problem with him being the Cole SRO, either interim or permanent. Our kids are in good hands with Officer Paul and I thank him for his service to our community and to our children.
He also saved a man’s life many years ago when he was working at the ACI. Good man.
I have known Paul Nahrgang most of my life. He is a good man, and a good officer, and his story is much greater than this piece.
Well said.
Inferring that our kids at Cole are somehow not safe, or less safe, because officier Paul 1 time many years ago was disciplined epitomizes lowest common denominator fear mongering. This is not newsworthy but rather feels like an attack on the integrity of a good public servant.
This is absolutely irrelevant. Does anyone actually care that he got mad at a criminal who probably deserved it many years ago? I personally think that makes him more qualified. Please remember that He is there as a deterrent to anyone looking to do harm. I want someone that will go AT the person coming to do whatever evil they have thought up. Not hiding in the stairway like the parkland cop. What he did would of been simply been called policing not so many years ago. Kids like him very much as well as parents. LEO have stressful jobs made even more stressful by today’s politics and attitudes. Paul Is a great choice for Cole Jr HiGh where I have a 6th grader and I believe he is safer because of it. End this nonsense.