The sudden resignation of Palmyra's police chief has sparked speculation and discontent in the small canal-side village.
Dozens of residents packed a village board meeting Sept. 14, calling on officials to take accountability for rumors around the resignation of Police Chief Kyle DiNardo.
DiNardo resigned Aug. 26 after almost four years with the department. Village officials did not give an official reason for his departure. That week, an article in the Times of Wayne County suggested he was pushed out ― quoting an anonymous Palmyra official who alleged DiNardo improperly accepted a $10,000 check to provide private security for the 2025 Wayne County Fair.
The village clerk later called the information "inaccurate," posting on Facebook that DiNardo
was authorized to sign an agreement that provided a village police security detail for the fair. Wayne County Fair organizers directly paid the village about $8,800 for the services, receipts show.
At the Sept. 14 board meeting, DiNardo's wife Christina Lockenwitz said he resigned due to the stress and time commitment of the job. She said the news article damaged his reputation and called on the village to defend her family.
"I don't accept that the only public statement the village has made was a small post on the village page," she said. "That is not enough to make it right. ... I am asking the village to publicly correct the record and offer a public apology. Make it unmistakably clear to this community that the accusations that caused this uproar ... are completely false."
Mayor Richard Perry could not immediately be reached for comment.
— Kayla Canne covers community safety for the Democrat and Chronicle with a focus on immigration, police accountability, government surveillance and how people are impacted by violence. Follow her on Instagram @bykaylacanne. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Palmyra residents demand answers on chief's exit
