Police Chief Christopher Cole faces potential disciplinary action from suspension to dismissal following his shocking admission of “sexting” shocking admission of “sexting” while on duty and in City Hall.

Public Safety Commissioner Richard Wirth said Friday he will decide Cole’s fate quickly — possibly next week — unless he gets a formal complaint from the woman Cole admitted sending lewd messages to, which would prompt an official investigation.

Cole admitted Thursday in a press release that he sent sexually explicit text messages to 39-year-old Laurie Masi of Glenville, with whom he had an “intermittent personal relationship” that sometimes “involved each of us texting sexually explicit photos to each other.”

“It was shocking to me,” Wirth said. “It’s unbecoming of a police officer, especially a chief of police. It’s definitely misconduct; wrongdoing.”

Wirth said Cole took a paid vacation day on Friday. However, a police officer said Cole was at the department and spent the morning in meetings. Cole did not return calls for comment.

“It’s very alarming,” Mayor Scott Johnson said. “I don’t condone anything in City Hall that may be deemed inappropriate regardless of whether it was legal. Certainly it’s a distraction, at least in this early stage.”

The incident could become a legal headache for the city as well, because Masi has hired an attorney to represent her in a civil case against the city, Cole and the police department. Schenectady attorney Paul DeLorenzo said Friday that Cole abused his authority and position as police chief by publicly identifying Masi, which “seems calculated to cause shame, humiliation and embarrassment to Ms. Masi.”

“We’re going to ask accountability of this man,” he said. “I’ve got to hear what he has to say.”

DeLorenzo said he would try to avoid a lawsuit by discussing the situation with city officials and trying to “work it out.”…..

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