Sutton Town Manager James Smith told the select board on January 7 that a conditional offer of employment for the position of Sutton Police Chief has been extended to Thomas Calouro, Deputy Chief of the Woonsocket Police Department. Calouro was chosen from two of the five finalists recommended after interviews by a committee consisting of David Hall, Ken Stuart, Matt Belsito, George Watson and Erin Chinappi. 

The two finalists were Calouro and Newport Police Captain Michael Naylor.

Smith said Deputy Chief Calouro has 25 years of experience in policing and 30 years of military experience in the U.S. Marine Corps reserves and the Air National Guard, where he will retire in March as a Command Chief Master Sergeant of the Rhode Island Air National Guard.

A ratification hearing and swearing in will be held at the select board’s January 21 meeting.

This will be the second ratification hearing for a police chief candidate: in July, Chief Dennis Towle and Smith put forward Lt. Lisa Sullivan, chosen by a consultant hired by the board, as the top candidate for the position. The board voted 3-2 not to ratify that appointment, citing concerns about the process as well as about the fact that fellow Sutton police officers had voted no confidence in Sullivan. The events of that occasion brought a discrimination lawsuit and an open meeting complaint from Sullivan. Select board vice chair Jesse Limanek announced at the January 7 meeting that the state had found that there was no open meeting law infraction. There has been no public announcement regarding the discrimination lawsuit.