Sgt Mark England

Sergeant facing drunken driving charges resigns

SEABROOK — A local police sergeant placed on paid administrative leave following his arrest on drunken driving charges late last month at Salisbury Beach tendered his resignation Tuesday and is now seeking retirement benefits, according to Seabrook officials.

Sgt. Mark F. Preston, 51, of Seabrook, a 30-year-plus veteran of the force and a former state representative, was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene after property damage and a marked-lanes violation after Salisbury police say he slammed into a car parked along North End Boulevard on July 31.

But a union representative from the New England Police Benevolent Society disputes the town's claim that Preston resigned, saying it was his intention to retire by Oct. 1.

Preston was held on $500 bail following his arraignment. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 22 at Newburyport District Court.

If found guilty of leaving the scene after property damage, Preston could be sentenced to up to two years in jail, fined up to $1,000 and lose his driver's license for at least a year. Those charged with drunken driving for the first time are not often sent to jail.

Reached yesterday, Seabrook Town Manager Barry Brenner said Preston resigned effective Tuesday and then filed a claim with the state of New Hampshire's retirement system.

Asked for a comment on Preston's decision, Brenner said he wasn't at liberty to discuss it.

"It's a personnel matter ... we're not in a position to comment," Brenner said.

But Steve Arnold from the New England Police Benevolent Society said town officials are purposely misleading the public, as Preston notified them in person and via email that his intention was to retire.

"He's not resigning; he's retiring after 31 years of service to the town of Seabrook," Arnold said last night.

If Preston had abruptly resigned, it could negatively affect his pension fund and his certification as a police officer. For those reasons and more, Preston made the decision to retire rather than resign, Arnold said.

Preston was placed on paid administrative leave on Aug. 1, the day after his arrest, pending the completion of an internal investigation. Brenner said the investigation into Preston stopped the moment he resigned.

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