CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) - Cranston Police Chief Marco Palombo Jr. has retired as state police continue investigate a parking ticket scandal.
Palombo had been on paid administration leave since Jan. 10 while state police looked into whether officers issued parking tickets as retribution against two City Council members in November. Mayor Allan Fung reinstated Palombo on Monday to allow him to retire.
Palombo grew up in Cranston and worked for the city police department for 27 years. He became chief in 2009.
City Council members Steven Stycos and Paul Archetto say police issued an extraordinary 128 tickets for illegally parked cars in their wards within two days of their voting against a police contract.
A lawyer for the police union says the ticketing blitz being so close to the contract vote was a coincidence.
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