Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

LITTLE COMPTON -- A Little Compton officer whose police gear was stolen last week while off duty in Portsmouth has been suspended without pay for 48 "working hours" and put on six months' departmental probation, a police department news release states.

An internal affairs investigation determined the officer, Costantino G. Natale, 32, of Portsmouth, had inadvertantly forgotten his equipment. According to the police report, the items stolen included his department-issued gun, his leather duty belt, a baton, handcuffs, department-issued pepper spray, three magazines containing 12 bullets each, his uniform, badges, bullet-proof vest, backpack, running shoes, and credit card.

The suspension is equivalent to one work week plus eight hours, the news release from Police Chief Sidney Wordell said. The probation is effective as of yesterday.

The weapon and other equipment were stolen in Portsmouth from the pickup truck of Natale, who was off duty at the time last week. The gun and the other items have been recovered, the police have said.

Natale inadvertantly forgot the equipment after preparing to go to work for a last-minute overtime shift, but having to cancel from the shift, he "failed to secure his firearm per department policy," the statement says.

Natale had been on administrative leave, as is standard procedure, pending the conclusion of the internal investigation, which was conducted by Lt. Antone Marion III.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports

Extra: Read the police report

 Tags  crime Little Compton police officer theft

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