EAST PROVIDENCE — The latest twist to the ongoing saga surrounding the status of East Providence Police Chief Joseph Tavares came late Friday afternoon, July 19, when the city's attorney requested his counterpart cool the recent airing of matters about the case in the media.

Michael Ursillo, of the Providence law firm of Ursillo Teitz & Ritch LTD, responded to a letter sent to City Manager Peter Graczykowski by Chief Tavares' attorney Thomas McAndrew earlier this week with a letter of his own.

In it Mr. Ursillo, who has represented the city on personnel matters in the past, wrote to Mr. McAndrew, "Frankly, we are disappointed that you continue to share your communications with the media as we thought we had an agreement to move forward on this issue in a professional manner outside of the public arena.

"Your continuing efforts to play this out in the press are, in fact, counterproductive to your stated goal of encouraging the City Manager to support the Chief in successfully running the department. If you had concerns, I would have expected a phone call and a request for a meeting as opposed to relentless press releases."

Mr. Ursillo was referring to not one, but two packets of information Mr. McAndrew provided to the press over the last week where he continued to question the voracity of statements as well as the motives of the city's elected and appointed officials, including Mr. Graczykowski, as they pertained to Chief Tavares' position atop the E.P. Police Department. Mr. McAndrew went so far in one of his letters to call for city officials to take lie detector tests to prove their truthfulness in the matter.

Later in his letter, Mr. Ursillo added, "Please be advised that the Police Chief will continue to be treated with respect and held to the same high standards of accountability as all other Department Heads working for the City Manager. The Chief will also be subject to the review and evaluation process approved by the Budget Commission.

"The City would rather not respond to such spurious allegations in the public realm, although this response will be shared with the press to set the record straight given your most recent press releases."

The read the entire text of Mr. Ursillo's letter click here...