Police Dept. down 4 positions following officer’s resignation

SWAMPSCOTT – The Board of Selectmen pulled the item from Tuesday night’s agenda at the last moment that, if approved, would have allowed to town to obtain a Civil Service list to fill a vacant position in the police department created earlier this month when an officer resigned after being arrested by the Drug Enforcement Agency.Thomas Wrenn, 37, 17 Prospect St., Nahant was arrested March 13 in Lynn by the Drug Enforcement Agency and was charged with possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.On March 16, Chief Ronald Madigan suspended Wrenn for five working days without pay and placed him on unpaid administrative leave. The Board of Selectmen voted to hold a disciplinary hearing, which was never actually scheduled because Wrenn resigned.Madigan confirmed Wrenn resigned voluntarily, but declined to comment further because “it is an ongoing investigation.”During a hearing in U.S. District Court in Boston on March 14, Wrenn pleaded innocent to possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and was released on a $15,000 bond.The criminal complaint against Wrenn, which was filed in federal court on March 13, alleges Wrenn bought Percocet pills, which are a form of oxycodone, over a period of months beginning in the fall of 2006.According to the affidavit, Wrenn allegedly routinely consumed Percocet and cocaine and in some instan-ces did so while in uniform.According to the affidavit from DEA Special Agent Dennis A. Barton, allegations of Wrenn’s drug use and distribution first came to light in January 2007 when a confidential informant reported Wrenn’s drug habits to the Swampscott Police Department.The affidavit says Madigan confronted Wrenn a few days after being contacted by the informant and asked him to submit to a drug test “in order to dispel the allegation” but Wrenn refused.Wrenn, who earned $97,000 last year and lives in a $634,000 home, received a court appointed attorney. Attorney Tracy Miner, who is with the firm of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo, was appointed to represent Wrenn.At his earlier hearing, Wrenn was ordered by the court to surrender his passport and weapons and is required to submit to random drug testing and not to leave eastern Massachusetts or sail more than a mile offshore or have any contact with any witnesses in the case.While Wrenn’s position is unfilled, Madigan said he expects an increase in overtime costs. He pointed out the town laid off Officer Richard Alex on June 30, 2007, which he said increased overtime and the department is down four positions so it is important to fill the vacant position.