Veteran officer named interim chief at Put-in-Bay

PUT-IN-BAY – The village mayor has appointed a 27-year veteran of the Sandusky Police Department as interim Put-in-Bay police chief.

Michael Frank, who served as Sandusky police lieutenant, started as interim chief on Wednesday and will conduct an evaluation of the police department’s employees.

Frank takes over for Robert “Ric” Lampela, who was suspended indefinitely in early March after being charged with four misdemeanors. Lampela has a hearing May 22 in Ottawa County Municipal Court.

Lampela is charged with threatening one of his officers with a gun in 2012 and with covering up allegations that a Put-in-Bay police cadet was raped in 2003. He is also charged with lying to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office about the rape case.

Mayor Ruth Scarpelli and Frank were not available for comment.

“I believe Mr. Frank’s law enforcement background, his supervisory experience, his education and his relationship with local law enforcement agencies will be a benefit to the Village Police Department,” Scarpelli said in a press release.

Frank most recently worked for the Erie County Adult Probation Department as its program manager fro residential enforcement division. He also severed as part-time police chief for the Village of Rocky Ridge.

Frank will complete the process of hiring new officers for the upcoming summer season.

Frank is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a degree in criminal justice and a graduate of the executive management program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy.

cshoup@gannett.com

419-734-7504

Twitter: @CraigShoupNH