East Hampton Tryst Cop to Resign
Officer Julio Mario Galeano, an East Hampton Village police officer who allegedly used a house on Talmage Lane for a romantic encounter with a female member of the department without the permission of the house’s owner, will resign from the department effective Aug. 2. Terms of his resignation are subject to ratification by the East Hampton Village Board, according to a statement issued by Rebecca Molinaro, the village administrator, on Monday.
Officer Galeano's transgression, which allegedly took place on Dec. 30 when he and a traffic control officer met in the house, was the subject of a hearing on Friday. John G. Callahan, an attorney appointed by the village board as an independent officer to hear the disciplinary charges against Mr. Galeano, heard comments and testimony at the Emergency Services Building. It was up to Mr. Galeano as to whether or not the hearing would be open to the public. He opted for a closed hearing.
Jennifer Rosa, a former traffic control officer, had previously worked at the Talmage Lane house as a cleaner and knew where a key was kept, according to police. The house's owner was not there, but guests who were authorized to enter and stay at the house discovered the pair in December and called the police.
Ms. Rosa was fired from the Police Department in January. The police force confiscated Mr. Galeano's badge and gun following the alleged incident. He was suspended with pay, per the collective bargaining agreement between the village and the Police Benevolent Association, and denied the charges through the P.B.A.
On Feb. 11, Chief Gerard Larsen brought disciplinary charges against Mr. Galeano. Ten days later, the village board adopted new legislation on police discipline that does away with the arbitration procedures previously required and provides for dismissal as an option. On the same day, the board unanimously voted to suspend Mr. Galeano for 30 days without pay.
The P.B.A. filed a petition in Suffolk County Supreme Court seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the new local law from going into effect, with an attorney for the union calling it a breach of contract. That petition was denied, and Ms. Molinaro said on Tuesday that the P.B.A. has withdrawn its challenge of the new law. Kevin Duchemin, a village police sergeant and president of the P.B.A, did not return a call seeking comment.
Mr. Galeano's 30-day suspension expired on March 21, and he was returned to the payroll, but was required to stay at home, according to Chief Larsen.
Born in Colombia, Mr. Galeano, who began working as a village police officer in November 2004, is the only Latino officer on the force. In early 2013, the department recognized him for his role in the arrest and conviction the year before of a man accused of having sexual relations with a child.