Southampton suspends police officer involved in DWI crash

A Southampton Town police officer has been suspended without pay after he was charged with DWI following a crash in Hampton Bays this month.

The Southampton Town Board voted 5-0 at its meeting Tuesday to suspend Theodore Jasinski without pay effective May 29.

Jasinski, 39, of Hampton Bays, was charged with misdemeanor DWI on May 7 following a crash off duty at the time and no injuries were reported, police said. Jasinski pleaded not guilty.

Chief Steven Skrynecki recommended the suspension to the town board pending the determination of disciplinary charges, according to the town board resolution. The resolution does not specify the length of the suspension.

“The way our professional standards are structured, when there’s a serious situation such as criminal action, we move out of the police department and into the realm of a civilian review board, which in fact is the town board,” Skrynecki said.

Under state civil service law, an employee facing disciplinary charges is entitled to a hearing. Under the law the town can suspend the employee for 30 days, but if the disciplinary charge is not resolved in that time, the employee must be reinstated to the payroll.

Skrynecki said Southampton Town has taken similar action for officers facing criminal charges before and that Jasinski could face additional sanctions beyond suspension, including termination.

Jasinski was hired in 2004 and had a salary of $145,454 in 2021, according to Newsday payroll records. A representative from the Southampton Town PBA could not be reached for comment.

Jasinski is due back in Southampton Town Justice Court on July 20 for the DWI charge. His Westhampton Beach attorney, Dan Russo, said he believes his client will be vindicated.

“Teddy has been a police officer for at least 10 years without a blemish,” Russo said. “He’s well-regarded by the department and he’s entitled to the same benefit of the doubt as anyone. I understand the town and their procedure, but hopefully once the facts come out they will reinstate him.”

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.