Police & Courts

After 28 years fielding 911 calls as an East Hampton Village dispatcher, Gerry Turza will be hired at the May 19 East Hampton Village Board meeting for a new village position: fire and emergency medical services administrator. Mr. Turza served as chief of the East Hampton Village Fire Department from 2018 to 2022 and in many other roles, all in the field of public safety, for the last 30 years.

East Hampton Town saw more reports of identity theft, fraud, larceny, trespassing, and sex crimes last year than it did in 2021, according to Police Chief Michael D. Sarlo's annual report. There were 17 calls about possible drug overdoses among adults, a five-year high, and officers made 41 percent more arrests, issued 49 percent more traffic tickets, and logged a collective 7,249 hours of training, an increase of 25 percent over 2021.

A bottle of 18-year-old Macallan Scotch whiskey valued at $475 was stolen from Amagansett Wine and Spirits on the afternoon of April 26. A man was seen putting the bottle under his sweatshirt while an employee was helping a customer. Charges will not be pressed, management told police, if payment is received or if the bottle is returned intact.

East Hampton Town officials indefinitely closed the rickety asphalt-covered bridge above the Long Island Rail Road track on Cranberry Hole Road in Amagansett after a sizable hole appeared in it on Sunday.

A Montauk businessman, Mark Ripolone, was indicted yesterday on charges of grand larceny and identity theft for allegedly stealing nearly $400,000 over a three-year period from a payroll company and his own customers’ bank accounts.

Unable to deliver a package at a South Flint Street, Montauk, residence for four days straight, a FedEx driver called the police on the afternoon of April 26 to make sure everyone there was okay. Officers were told that the family’s dog is not well.

A fight at Murf’s Tavern Saturday night led to the arrest of a “highly intoxicated” 27-year-old Sag Harbor man who screamed obscenities, berated the security guard, and threatened to “kick everyone’s ass” and “kill you.” He forcefully resisted arrest, police said, but officers — including some from East Hampton and Southampton who responded to the village’s request for assistance — were able to wrestle him to the ground and handcuff him.

The East Hampton Village Police Department now has a newly promoted captain, lieutenant, and two sergeants, as well as a new full-time officer.

Just before 8 a.m. on Monday, a fire broke out in Stephen and Missie Hesler’s home on Carlisle Lane in Sag Harbor, causing heavy damage to the house. Mr. Hesler was able to rescue the couple’s two dogs, Gus and Gabbie, from the flames.

In simpler times, the most prevalent scam to be on the lookout for was the so-called "Nigerian Prince" email scam, in which a fraudster would send out an email that persuaded a potential "mark" — often an older adult — to wire them some money in order to trigger the release of a bigger pot of money that was coming the victim's way. More recently, scammers have gotten menacingly creative and even use technology to take advantage of victims.

Police officers conducted routine liquor-license checks of bars, restaurants, and liquor stores in Montauk, Springs, and East Hampton over the last two weeks, finding that all had up-to-date documentation.

The East Hampton Town Police Department responded this week to multiple calls about speeding drivers on residential streets.