By Elizabeth F. McNamara
East Greenwich police officer Scott Cole is back on the job after being suspended with pay since last August, following an accusation that he texted a woman after he’d arrested her for driving under the influence. The woman said after the arrest Cole had texted her later that day and was flirting with her.
That incident followed one April 18, when Cole himself was arrested for driving under the influence in West Warwick after getting into an car accident. He was also cited for refusing a breathalyzer test. Cole, 29, lives in Warwick.
He faced no formal charges in connection to the texting allegation, but was suspended pending an investigation.
Police Chief Steven Brown confirmed that Cole has returned to regular duty (he’s a patrolman) but declined to say anything more.
“He’s back to work on conditions acceptable to the town,” said Town Solicitor Michael Ursillo. “I can’t tell you the terms and conditions,” he said, citing the state Law Enforcement Bill of Rights and personnel privacy concerns.
“It’s acceptable to all involved,” Ursillo added. “I will tell you the town’s interests have been looked out for and protected.”
Cole, a veteran, was able to have the DUI charge moved to Veterans Treatment Court, which was developed to help veterans after just such run ins with the law. If Cole completes the steps given to him by that court, the DUI will be removed from his record in May. He has been with the EGPD since 2016.
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Wow, really setting the bar high for our town.
Is it just me or does it seem unreasonable that this person collected a paycheck for 7 months while not working and then was reinstated? Why would this not warrent termination.
I can appreciate the value employee unions provide in some cases and am not inherently opposed to them, but if the existing contract makes it impossible to maintain a police department that we can be proud of, something has to change.
I’m guessing full pay and the benefits continued to be accrued all the while waiting for “punishment” to be handed down. Plus this was done while he was out on bail for a DUI. Yet he’s still allowed back. Does the council know the full story regarding this officer??
The unions elected this council, do you really believe they have what it takes to follow through and terminate this pathetic Police Officer. Of course it would be different if he was the School Resource Officer I’m quite sure of that.
Sorry, Barney, the unions did not elect this council. Citizens tired of the past council, who didn’t have the integrity or chops to get rid of an incompetent and self-serving town manager, elected this council. I don’t think this officer should have received pay for not working for 7 months, we’re probably in agreement there, but trying to align the town’s decisive voting preference in November with the unions is baseless script from your party’s playbook.
Carla….I agree with you. The residents of EG, after a concerted effort by the EGDTC, elected the current Town Council. Who knows what November 2020 will bring? The EG unions really do not have that much power in getting people elected. It would be a safe bet that the unions didn’t open their checkbooks to support candidates. Maybe $100.00 here and there but that really amounts to nothing. And Barney is correct in saying that if this was a school resource officer he/she would have been immediately removed from that position and possibly facing criminal charges if the person receiving the texts and pictures was a juvenile.
Carla- Okay lets skip who, how and why the present council was elected. Do you want a police officer being funded by your tax dollars who was charged with DUI and then less than a year later using his position as an officer makes contact with a young female and sends her explicit texts working for you. I’m in the private sector and I can tell you what would have happened to me if I had done either one of these things never mind both of them. That’s right termination,,,,,,,its called the real world. This guy doesn’t deserve to be a Police Officer, not in EG or the RISP……
Barney, we are in agreement questioning why the officer is back on duty! My only issue with your post was your attempt to throw shade on how and why this council got elected.
Carla- Not to beat a dead horse but a very interesting article in today’s PRo Jo about the amount of money spent by FFs through PAC accounts. EG over 13k, why so much,,,I think we can figure it out.
Amazing that a police officer can commit several crimes and get “a paid vacation” as punishment. Why? How?