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Red Bank police chief agrees to quit after relationship controversy

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RED BANK – Police Chief Darren McConnell has reached an agreement with the county and agreed to resign after a report from the New Jersey Attorney General's Office recommended he be fired for “failing to report his supervisor-subordinate relationship” and his position on the took advantage of his partner.

McConnell, who has been on paid leave since late February, will officially retire on Tuesday. Since he was not terminated, he said he will receive his annual pension of about $138,000 and about $182,000 in accrued time. Of the 2,400 hours of accumulated time, $66,105 from McConnell's last paycheck dated Oct. 15 will be forfeited to the district, according to district manager Jim Gant.

Gant declined to reveal the exact amount of the final payout. In an email, he wrote, “The final payout will be confirmed once the payroll clerk prepares payroll for October 15th.”

McConnell, who has been with the police department since 1988 and was promoted to chief in 2013, was publicly accused by the police union in August 2023 of having inappropriate relationships with subordinates.

In a statement at the time, McConnell wrote that there was a relationship that fell into that category, which he has since regretted. His current marriage to patrol officer Kristin Altimari is “not a scandal,” he argued.

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The district's dating policy at the time stated that couples in “superior/subordinate dating” must report their relationship to their immediate supervisor or human resources department.

In June, the county updated its police department's rules and regulations to ban dating.

The attorney general's report argued that McConnell improperly dismissed internal matters and “even reversed another's findings” to help a subordinate aide.

The report, which redacted the patrol officer's name, said she is now McConnell's wife, alluding to Altimari.

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McConnell was found to have “used his position as police chief to influence Red Bank County decisions, resulting in personal gain for a subordinate employee.”

It said that although McConnell submitted an online disclosure of his relationship to his own personnel files on September 28, 2021, it found no independent evidence that McConnell told anyone about the relationship, in violation of district policy.

The attorney general's report recommended McConnell's firing.

In a statement, Gant, the Red Bank district manager, wrote: “While we recognize the seriousness of the situation, we also recognize that Chief McConnell's misconduct represents an unfortunate blemish on an otherwise exemplary career.” The district thanks Chief McConnell for his years of dedicated service to our residents.”

McConnell, who makes an annual salary of $198,312 in his role as police chief, according to state pension data, reached an agreement with the community before his case came to a hearing.

“It was a bit of a lengthy process,” he said in an interview on Monday. “There were various status conferences. The Attorney General's Office has filed motions to quash this matter. That kind of dragged things out further than they normally would have.”

“While I would have liked to see a hearing and the truth about all the allegations come to light,” he said, “at the same time, I had to make a decision that was wise for me and my family to move forward.” And even for the police to carry on. It’s just not fair to tie everyone up for so long.”

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McConnell was set to retire in July 2023 before the attorney general's investigation derailed those plans.

McConnell said that while he wanted to find out why the police union contacted the attorney general's office, he feared a hearing would take two years. “I always didn’t like how it came about,” he said.

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He said his actions described in the attorney general's report were “obviously (not) ideal,” but added, “There was no intentional wrongdoing.” … There was a misunderstanding or disagreement between me and the community as to what ​​When I should report my relationship with my current wife. … At no time were there any criminal allegations.”

Gant said Capt. Mike Frazee will be sworn in as police chief on Oct. 11.

Gant wrote, “This represents an opportunity to restore public trust and share a positive vision for the future of the RBPD, and we look forward to the continued service and safety of our community under Chief Frazee's leadership.”

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Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at [email protected].

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