Thursday, March 25, 1999
Cold Spring chief fired 2nd time
BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COLD SPRING — The controversial police chief here is out of a job again, fired for the second time in six months for allegedly being foul-mouthed and verbally abusive.
The dismissal of Chief Mike Piccirillo is the latest in a string of battles for the department. Since the chief's first firing in October, the department lost its first and only female officer after a sex discrimination dispute, and all but two officers sought legal counsel.
Many were also upset about being asked to attend what they said was anger-management counseling for the chief.
Mayor Paul Weghorn said he made the decision Monday. “First of all, I won't use the word "fire,'” he said. “I will use the word "terminate.' It is at my discretion — period. There is no further discussion.
“I don't want this to be blown out of proportion, and I don't want it to affect his ability to get another position.”
In fifth-class cities, as with Cold Spring, the mayor can terminate a position at will.
Chief Piccirillo said he did not want to comment.
Problems in the department date back to last year, when officers complained to city officials about Chief Piccirillo. They claimed he used foul language and would sometimes knock over filing cabinets when he was angry. The chief was asked to resign. He refused and was fired in October, but was reinstated the next month.
That touched off the string of events, beginning with Officer Megan Murphy being put on disability because she was pregnant. She claimed she and the chief had an agreement that she could have light duty if she decided to have a baby.
She and attorney Phil Taliaferro negotiated her return to work in December, but she then quit in January after she said all officers were told to go to counseling to help the chief.
Mr. Taliaferro said Wednesday that he represented all but two of the department's officers, the two newest, in talks with city officials.
Mayor Weghorn said an acting chief has not yet been appointed and he does not have a time frame in mind to make the decision.
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