Old Lyme — Town police officer Jay Rankin remains on administrative leave amid multiple investigations in various stages of completion.

One is an ongoing probe into an incident on Main Street in Old Saybrook, according to First Selectman Tim Griswold. While he would not provide details, Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal has said Rankin is accused of yelling a racial slur at a pedestrian on Main Street.

Rankin, who retired from the Old Saybrook Police Department in 2017 before joining the constabulary over the bridge, was placed on paid leave by Griswold in a Sept. 22 email. The first selectman said the decision was related to the Main Street incident as well as two cases internal to the Old Lyme Police Department.

Rankin did not respond to a call Thursday for comment.

Old Saybrook Fire Department President and past chief John Dunn said Rankin remains an active member of the fire department on Main Street despite the allegations.

"I know the police department was looking into something that may or may not have occurred in front of the fire department on a particular day," he said. "We're not privy to how that turned out or if it turned out."

The Day in September submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Old Saybrook Police Department for any recent complaints or reports associated with Rankin. No documents have been disclosed, nor has a reason for a denial. A complaint from the newspaper is pending with the Freedom of Information Commission in Hartford.

A separate, unsubstantiated investigation into Rankin was related to a damaged alternator from an out-of-service cruiser, according to documents obtained from state police through an FOIA request. 

A criminal complaint lodged Sept. 22 by Griswold alleged Rankin had conspired to steal the alternator, the documents said.

An incident report from Old Saybrook police did not narrow down the date of the incident beyond a general 2016-2019 time frame during which the vehicle was stored at an Old Saybrook auto body shop. Documents showed Rankin had been overseeing fleet management for the department, but was removed from the assignment by new Resident State Trooper Matt Weber in 2020.

The incident report said the office of the Middlesex state's attorney advised police the case wasn't prosecutable due to factors including the unknown time of the incident and lack of intent. Local police completed their investigation without arrest Oct. 25.

The internal affairs unit closed the case on Nov. 1 with no action based on "insufficient evidence to conclude Officer Rankin participated in an attempt to defraud or steal" from the town.

Griswold on Thursday said he hadn't been informed about the outcome in the alternator case. He declined to go into specifics about any of the investigations until he consults with the town attorney.

He called the ongoing lack of resolution "frustrating."

Rankin makes $79,456 annually and continues to be paid for all scheduled hours, according to Griswold.

He retired as a master sergeant from Old Saybrook Police Department after 29 years of service, according to Old Saybrook documents. He was chief of the Old Saybrook Fire Department from 2015 to 2018.

e.regan@theday.com