East Hampton Police Chief Apologizes for Emails

When Pete Brown stood up during public comments at the East Hampton Town Council meeting on Tuesday night, he took many by surprise with what he had to say.

Reading from a prepared script, Brown expressed “outrage” over emails that had been brought to his attention. Emails from Police Chief Matt Reimondo to other town employees that were racially offensive.

Brown said that the emails were “circulated between certain department heads of the Town of East Hampton and done so on town-owned computers during town work hours” added to his consternation. He went on to say that the receivors of the emails also violated the town’s code of conduct by not reporting them to human resources.

Two of the emails were sent by Reimondo to two town employees, the other two, one of which poked fun at people collecting public assistance, were forwarded from his work computer to others.

Asked if he was aware of the emails, interim town manager Bob Drewry said: “I received that anonymously. I have addressed the situation. It is a personnel issue and that’s where I am going to leave it. It has been addressed. We’re taking some other steps. We’re looking at some training. I have talked to our attorneys about providing training.”

Due to the sensitive nature of a personnel issue, talk then centered around continuing the discussion in executive session at a later date.

When Drewry was asked if the council should get involved, chairwoman Melissa Engel intervened.

“[The council has] a right to be apprised,” Engel said. “If we want to be apprised, then we will be apprised in executive session. I’d like to be apprised.

Council member Thom Cordeiro wasn’t sure the council’s involvement was necessary.

“I have confidence that Bob is going to do what’s necessary with regards to this,” he said. “I’m not sure we need to have a separate session.”

As a whole, the council disagreed and an executive session was scheduled for 6:15 p.m. on March 15.

Chief Reimondo, who fought off an attempt to have his position eliminated last year, later issued an apology.

How Brown came up with the emails, which were around a year old, is not known.

According to The Hartford Courant, Reimondo received a written reprimand from Drewry. To read The Hartford Courant story, click here.