Block Island was a bit stunned to learn that Police Chief Matthew Moynihan resigned on Tuesday, May 24. Some who work at Town Hall told The Times they only started hearing “rumors” about it that same day, and Town Manager Maryanne Crawford said she received his resignation at 12:30 p.m. and had not had any prior conversations with him about it.Moynihan will become chief of police in South Kingstown, replacing Joel Ewing-Chow who retired in April. He was hired by James Manni who recently stepped down as head of the Rhode Island State Police to become town manager in South Kingstown.Moynihan will start his new job on June 26, and his last day as chief on Block Island will be June 24.Crawford told The Times the process of finding a new chief of police will entail advertising for the position, getting resumes and conducting interviews, and that according to the town charter, the chief of polices “shall be employed by the Town Manager with the advice and consent of the Town Council.”Some news outlets tied Moynihan’s decision to the fact that the New Shoreham Town Council declined to fund a state police detail for summer weekends this year.The
