By
DAVID M. SCHWARTZ david.schwartz@newsday.com
East
Hampton Village fired a traffic control officer and suspended a patrolman with
pay after the couple was found in a "compromising position" at a
Hamptons vacation house, the village's mayor said Sunday.
The
two were found Dec. 30 at a Talmage Lane home, where the female traffic control
officer, 20, also worked as a part-time house cleaner. The male officer, 31,
was relieved of his badge and firearm because of the criminal trespass
complaint, police said in a statement.
The
home is owned by a Manhattan interior designer, according to published reports.
He could not be reached for comment Sunday.
The
officer, whom police and village officials refused to identify, was off duty at
the time, police said.
Friends
of the home's owner -- who does not live there full time -- arrived at the
house planning to spend the New Year's holiday there. When they discovered the
pair, they called police, according to Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr.
Rickenbach
said of the alleged incident: "It's unacceptable, inexcusable and, most
importantly, unlawful. He violated the public trust of his office and
badge."
The
mayor promised a swift investigation. The village trustees unanimously
terminated a traffic control officer on Friday, retroactive to Dec. 30,
according to a broadcast of the meeting.
"The
alleged conduct is totally not in keeping with how the village likes to present
itself. We will deal with it in the immediate future," Rickenbach said.
The
male officer, an employee for the past nine years, is suspended while the
investigation continues. "We're bound by the contractual arrangements and
certain covenants within the PBA contract," Rickenbach said.
The
East Hampton police chief declined to comment.
