“A lack of stable leadership over many years”: just one critique of the Plattsburgh Police Department outlined in a 17-page report conducted by a third party over several months, which was released by the mayor’s office on Friday.The report does not place blame on any particular person in the police department, but rather the lack of clear policy that was not always being enforced.Some of the major findings included aged-out policies and low morale within the department. None of this surprises Mayor Wendell Hughes, who says it is a result of leadership issues.”We haven’t had a lot of supervisor training down there and that appalls me” said Hughes.Hughes and the Common Council recently approved a new police chief, Jarrod Trombley back in May. The appointment came after a years-long search for a permanent police chief. The mayor pledged to revitalize the city’s police force in his campaign last year. Something he still stands by months into his first term.”Being a police officer is a tough job. It’s one of the toughest jobs we have today,” said Hughes. “You’re dealing with the public; you’re dealing with people in very stressful situations in a mental health crisis, or a drug crisis. We just have to train our folks.”Amy Collin, who represents Ward 6 in the city’s Common Council, says this has been a long process.”I’m glad the public has access to the report. It’s time for the police department to move forward with leadership and training improvements,” Collin said.Though the report spotlights the needs for improvement, it also offers solutions through training programs that should be prioritized to get the department up to standards, like body camera training for officers. Something the mayor says he hopes to see implemented soon.”We have a pilot program” said Hughes. “We have a couple of our young officers wearing body cameras. We’re testing how its working before we do the full rollout. They’ve been really positive about this. They want these cameras.”NBC5 reached out to the Plattsburgh Police Department Wednesday, but no one was available to comment on the report.
“A lack of stable leadership over many years”: just one critique of the Plattsburgh Police Department outlined in a 17-page report conducted by a third party over several months, which was released by the mayor’s office on Friday.
The report does not place blame on any particular person in the police department, but rather the lack of clear policy that was not always being enforced.
Advertisement
Some of the major findings included aged-out policies and low morale within the department. None of this surprises Mayor Wendell Hughes, who says it is a result of leadership issues.
“We haven’t had a lot of supervisor training down there and that appalls me” said Hughes.
Hughes and the Common Council recently approved a new police chief, Jarrod Trombley back in May. The appointment came after a years-long search for a permanent police chief. The mayor pledged to revitalize the city’s police force in his campaign last year. Something he still stands by months into his first term.
“Being a police officer is a tough job. It’s one of the toughest jobs we have today,” said Hughes. “You’re dealing with the public; you’re dealing with people in very stressful situations in a mental health crisis, or a drug crisis. We just have to train our folks.”
Amy Collin, who represents Ward 6 in the city’s Common Council, says this has been a long process.
“I’m glad the public has access to the report. It’s time for the police department to move forward with leadership and training improvements,” Collin said.
Though the report spotlights the needs for improvement, it also offers solutions through training programs that should be prioritized to get the department up to standards, like body camera training for officers. Something the mayor says he hopes to see implemented soon.
“We have a pilot program” said Hughes. “We have a couple of our young officers wearing body cameras. We’re testing how its working before we do the full rollout. They’ve been really positive about this. They want these cameras.”
NBC5 reached out to the Plattsburgh Police Department Wednesday, but no one was available to comment on the report.
