Apr 12, 2012 9:55 AM

The vice president of the Patrolman’s Benevolent Association of Southampton Town, Officer Kevin Gwinn, who has in recent weeks openly accused the Southampton Republican Party of playing politics with the Southampton Town Police Department administration, said he was threatened last week to keep his mouth shut or lose his job.

Officer Gwinn said he received an anonymous, typed threatening letter at his Center Moriches home on April 4. The letter was dated March 22, but postmarked April 3 and mailed from the Middle Island post office.

“Kevin, just wanted to remind you about the retirement law that requires town board approval for police officers to stay past 20 years of service. Isn’t it true that you have more than 20 years of service? In these uncertain times shouldn’t you be careful about ‘going after’ people like Nuzzi, Malone, Kiernan or any one else for that matter? Just food for thought. Sleep well,” the letter states, referring to Town Councilmen Chris Nuzzi, a Republican, and Jim Malone, a Conservative, and Town Police Lieutenant James Kiernan, a Southampton Town Republican committeeman.

Officer Gwinn said he documented the letter with the Suffolk County Police Department.

With 25 years of service, Officer Gwinn is the only PBA board member with more than 20 years of service. A decades-old provision of town code allows the Town Board to force police officers who have worked 20 years or more to retire. The provision has been on the books for decades but has been rarely used.

The week before he received the letter, Officer Gwinn said he received a similar threat via an anonymous call to his cellphone. He hinted that another agency—not the Suffolk County Police or Southampton Town Police—may be looking into the call, and that he has been advised not to comment on the details of the call.

He said as a PBA leader, such anonymous warnings are relatively common. He said he does not know who the sender or caller were.