Keegan Muldowney smiles as a new Tupper Lake police officer in March. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

TUPPER LAKE — A village police officer resigned from the department May 31 after the conclusion of an investigation by an outside firm the village brought in.

Keegan Muldowney, who graduated from the academy Nov. 14, 2018, resigned last Friday, according to village Mayor Paul Maroun. The village had recently enlisted the services of Ronni Travers at Public Sector HR Consultants to investigate Muldowney’s conduct, and he resigned after the investigation concluded, according to Maroun.

“Nobody was injured or anything like that,” Maroun. “But there were some accusations of extracurricular activities in a commercial establishment.”

Muldowney was still within the customary one-year probationary period for new hires, and attended the academy at cost to the village.

Travers’ firm was already on the village’s payroll.

“She’s on our team,” Maroun said. “She does different types of workplace violence and sexual harassment classes.”

When asked if the investigation was about sexual harassment, Maroun said he could not say for sure, due to the conditions of the resignation.

“I have heard some things, too, but I have no way of confirming to you if they’re true or not true,” Maroun said. “There was no crime committed; let’s put it that way.”

Maroun said much of the village official’s discussion of the matter took place in executive sessions, closed-door conversations at board meetings protected by the state Open Meetings Law.

“It’s a personnel matter,” Maroun said. “I can’t say much more than that because of the way the agreement’s been negotiated.

“He’s a good officer, and it’s unfortunate. I wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Muldowney declined to comment for this article. Chief of Police Eric Proulx also declined to comment on Muldowney. Village board Trustees Clint Hollingsworth and Leon Leblanc said they could not comment because of executive session rules. Calls to Trustees Ron LaScala and David “Haji” Maroun were not returned by publication of this article.

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Smaller staff

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Muldowney’s resignation leaves the police department with nine members on staff.

“In 25 years at the department, I’ve worked shorthanded in the summer, not up to staff, probably 24 of those 25 years, so it’s nothing new,” Proulx said. “There will be some overtime. I don’t think it’s going to be a whole lot of overtime.”

Maroun said the department will have to wait until the Franklin County civil service exam result list is released in November before it can hire a replacement officer. Proulx said the department could also accept a lateral transfer from another department sooner, if the opportunity arises.

The Tupper Lake Central School District budget passed in May included funding for two school resource officers, armed police officers stationed in each school building for general and emergency safety. Maroun said that even though the police department has budgeted enough resources for two SROs, with money coming from school district to reimburse the village, the loss of an officer means the department will be tight on staff.

Proulx said the department will provide one SRO starting in September and may have to add the second later; however, he said he has several options to add a new officer before the school year begins.