Mayor Donald R. Grebien released the following statement regarding the decision to move to terminate the employment of Officer Daniel Dolan by the City of Pawtucket:
“Trust in our public officials, both elected and appointed, is critical to our country’s ongoing pursuit of a more perfect union. In particular, our faith and trust in those we employ to protect our public safety and enforce our laws are paramount to our community’s ability to thrive. When that trust is challenged, it is vital that our institutions rise to the moment and meet those challenges.
I fully support our men and women in law enforcement. I am grateful for the work that the Pawtucket Police do every single day to protect the well-being of all residents and visitors in our great city. I know, however, that they share my high standards and expectations for honorable service. One officer’s actions do not define a profession, however, what we allow, tolerate, and excuse casts a cloud over all. The City of Pawtucket and its Police Department will not allow or enable behavior that jeopardizes our ability to protect the community we serve and protect.
On January 26, a jury found Officer Dolan not guilty of four criminal charges. Throughout the criminal investigation, the Pawtucket Police Department conducted a parallel, internal investigation. Lack of criminality does not mean that an officer’s conduct was appropriate or that it represented the high standards to which we hold our public safety officials.
After consulting with the City’s outside legal counsel and complying with the process set forth by the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights (LEOBOR), the department has determined that termination is the appropriate course of action. I applaud the diligent work of the Internal Affairs team and Chief Tina Goncalves to bring the City to this point.
LEOBOR has restricted what the Pawtucket Police Department can release publicly. However, as of today, the department can now move forward with these disciplinary proceedings as the statutory provisions allow.”
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