WPRO News
Cranston Mayor Allan Fung is denying statements made by the Rhode Island State Police that he and his staff “politically interfered” with city police operations and mismanaged the department throughout his career as mayor.
In a four-page letter obtained by the media, State Police Colonel Steven O’Donnell tells Fung he is responsible for a “lack of leadership and mistrust within the highest levels of the department.” The State Police conducted a thorough review of Cranston Police operations during a 10-month stint of State Police control over the department.
O’Donnell cited Fung’s executive decision to bring back embattled Police Captain Stephen Antonucci, who placed on administrative leaving following the ticket blitz scandal in 2013.
“This behavior illustrates one of the core problems which came to light during the assessment, the secretive interference by you and your staff in the operations of the police department,” wrote O’Donnell.
Fung fired back publically saying he disagrees with parts of O’Donnell’s assessment, but that he accepts the report.
“It’s about moving forward,” said Fung “This chapter has ended and in fact on the ticketing investigation that came to a resolution that was satisfactory both to Colonel [Michael] Winquist and the administration.”
Fung said that since the State Police returned control of the department back to the city, officer moral has been up.
“This report has an opportunity [to help] the department to continue to move forward, implements further recommendations.”
Fung has asked the Attorney General’s office to delay the public release of the report, pending a review for sensitive or confidential information which should not be released.
O’Donnell says the total cost of the investigation was $500,000.
