PROVIDENCE — Lt. Kenneth Cohen, the Police Department patrol commander on the 3-to-11 p.m. work shift, has been elected president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 3.

In a historically large turnout, the membership of the Providence police union picked Cohen by a wide margin over three rivals, incumbent Robert Paniccia, a retired sergeant; Capt. David Lapatin, 7 a.m.-to-3 p.m. patrol commander; and Detective John J. Coughlin Jr.

“I’m hoping to be less contentious,” Cohen said of the FOP’s future stance toward the administration of Police Chief Dean M. Esserman. “I think we have to open up a line of communication. But it doesn’t mean that I’m not going to fight for my people.”

There is an array of litigation and grievances pending between the union and the city, but no issue looms larger than the lack of a collective-bargaining agreement from July 1, 2005 through the present. The union and the city are enmeshed in arbitration for the terms of an agreement for 2005-2006 and that will not change, Cohen said yesterday.

One of the major issues in the election, according to Paniccia and Cohen, was Paniccia’s status as a retiree from the police force. Paniccia, who has served two two-year terms as president, retired from the force in September 2006.

“I guess some people thought a new direction was needed,” Paniccia said. “A lot of the younger guys bought into” the idea that a retiree could not properly represent the interests of active-duty members.

On the other hand, Paniccia said, he sought to underscore his independence from the police administration and the practical consideration that, as a retiree, he could not be influenced or intimidated.

Cohen said the retiree issue was the biggest of the campaign. As for himself, he said he is known as a union stalwart and a fair-minded person and that that reputation helped him. Other union members said Cohen enjoyed especially widespread support among uniformed officers.

Cohen, 55, is in his 30th year of service on the force. He formerly was commander of the Traffic Bureau, before the bureau was downgraded to a unit, director of human resources, director of two training academies, and, briefly, a detective.

When Patrolman James Bruno retired from the force, he resigned as FOP treasurer, and Paniccia appointed Cohen treasurer midterm. Although they wound up as election opponents, members say there is no animosity between them.

More than 600 members participated in the daylong election Tuesday, casting paper ballots at the FOP office on Sheridan Street. Paniccia said the turnout — more than 200 retirees also voted — was the largest in the history of the local.

Cohen attributed the turnout to the energy of new members and a push for involvement by union trustees.

“They also wanted to send a message that the membership does have concerns …,” he said.

In other contested elections,

• Patrolman Clarence Gough, who is assigned to the Special Victims Unit in the Detective Bureau, was elected first vice president. He outpolled the incumbent, retired Sgt. John Carnevale, and Sergeants Brendan McGrath and John Kaya.

•Sgt. Roger Aspinall was elected second vice president, defeating Detective Harold H. Zacks.

•Detective Paul Romano, treasurer, defeated Patrolman Francisco Furtado and Detective David Marchant.

•Patrolman Michael Imondi, financial secretary, beat Detective Robert Washburn.

•Patrolman Taft Manzotti was reelected unopposed as recording secretary, and Cohen said he intends to keep Manzotti as grievance officer to maintain continuity because of the turnover in the leadership ranks.

Under the collective-bargaining terms in effect between the city and the union, the FOP may designate two people to step aside from active duty and to work full time for the union while continuing to draw full salaries from the Police Department. They have been the president and grievance officer.

So Cohen will continue to draw his lieutenant’s salary — base pay plus longevity and night-shift differential — while serving as president. In addition, the six top officers also are compensated by the FOP. The president is paid one-third of a patrolman’s salary and the other officers are paid one-sixth of a patrolman’s salary.

Cohen is scheduled to be installed as president on Monday, when the election is certified.

Said Lapatin, “As soon as the vote was over, everybody threw their support behind Kenny 100 percent.”

gsmith@projo.com