Critics: Police chief’s double duty in 2 towns creates safety, ethical concerns

Could a police chief in Orange County pulling double duty as a full-time chief for two different departments be effective in both?

News 12 Staff

Feb 19, 2019, 10:09 PM

Updated 1,984 days ago

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Critics: Police chief’s double duty in 2 towns creates safety, ethical concerns
Could a police chief in Orange County pulling double duty as a full-time chief for two different departments be effective in both?
Tuxedo Park Police Chief Alessio Melchiorre is now doubling as police chief 12 miles away in Monroe. There does not appear to be anything illegal about the situation, but critics say they take issue with the double duty nonetheless.

Tuxedo Park resident and former village police officer Mike Coleman says the double duty raises red flags and creates safety and ethical concerns.
"I don't think it's good for taxpayers to have to pay for someone not involved 100 percent full-time,” says Coleman.

Melchiorre is listed on both village websites as full-time police chief. According to an online document posted by the village of Monroe,  Melchiorre was hired late last month as interim chief for $100,000 a year.
No one from Tuxedo Park returned News 12 calls, but Monroe Mayor Neil Dwyer said the interim chief's job in Tuxedo in "not an issue" and that Melchiorre was hired temporarily to train several sergeants vying for the permanent position there.
The New York State Department of Civil Service says there is no state policy regarding a police chief working for more than one department at a time. It referred News 12's questions to the county, which said in this case, there's nothing wrong with Melchiorre working for both villages.


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