UPDATED City finds no early merit in allegations of racism at City Police

PLATTSBURGH | A purported member of the City of Plattsburgh Police Department alleged "unethical behavior and racially discriminatory statements" on the part of provisional Police Chief Nathan "Bud" York, pointing to specific comments made to an officer of color. The Sun was provided a copy of an accusive letter from an anonymous source who said they work in the police department. Dated March 8, it was sent to Plattsburgh Mayor Christopher C. Rosenquest and to the Common Council. It was also sent to local media outlets. Allegations made in it launched a review from city officials and an emergency meeting of the City of Plattsburgh Public Safety Committee. On Friday, Mayor Rosenquest said they spoke to both parties involved in the alleged racially discriminatory incident and found no merit in the claim. "As a result of the first stages of that investigation—which focused on the alleged conversation—both participants in the conversation have been interviewed, and both deny that any insensitive or racially charged comments were made," Rosenquest said. The mayor said they would "look into it thoroughly and objectively." 'PARTICULARLY EGREGIOUS' The anonymous letter was sent via email by a person reportedly within the police department. In it, they said they "have personally witnessed the use of racial slurs and discriminatory language by members of the police leadership, which is unacceptable and goes against the values of our community." The "particularly egregious" incident allegedly involved interim Chief York and, the letter said, "one of our recently hired police officers, the first African American officer in the department and a member of the National Guard, is being deployed to Africa for a tour of duty." The person who sent the letter said the chief asked the officer "Are you going to Africa to find your ancestors?' and 'You better return and not decide to stay and live with your people.'" They said they found "this type of behavior is unacceptable and creates a hostile work environment for all members of the police force." City officials found nothing more in the letter to investigate and said they reached out to the anonymous writer, who had offered to answer further questions via email. "There were no other specific allegations contained in the complaint which can be investigated, based on the highly general nature of the claims, and the anonymous transmission," Mayor Rosenquest said. "The City responded to the email address, requesting additional information, and reiterating that the City's whistleblower policy protects individuals making good faith complaints. At the time of this release, the City has yet to receive a response to this email." INDEPENDENT BODY In their letter seeking review, the concerned person asked city officials to authorize an independent body to investigate the allegations "and provide a transparent and impartial report of their findings." They also said they would refer the matter to New York Attorney General Letitia James and the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office, with additional complaints to the New York State Division of Human Rights, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Gov. Kathy Hochul's Office of Responsible Policing. Mayor Rosenquest said he is also referring the matter to the NYS Attorney General James, but because they feel the anonymity and nature of the letter's transmission to local media "may create a hostile work environment" in the Plattsburgh Police Department. "Based on the allegations, the public way in which they were transmitted to the media, and the results of the interviews, the City believes it is very likely that the conduct in sending the anonymous e-mail, purportedly by a member of the Police Department, may have created a harassing or hostile work environment for members of the Department," Mayor Rosenquest said in a Friday update. "The City will be investigating the publication of the anonymous complaint and has also referred the matter to the regional office of the New York State Attorney General for investigation." Contacted by the Sun for comment on Thursday, York said he had no knowledge of what was happening and was told to refer questions to the mayor's office. DO WHAT'S RIGHT The Sun reached out to the letter writer via email Thursday, March 9, in part to find out if the person had any professional recourse through a union or a professional police conduct board to discuss the matter therein. In a response sent by email, they said they were not aware of any such option. They said they believe the police union "has an obligation to defend the well-being of all members, even if they come under attack from someone that wears the same uniform." They said they were concerned for their job and would remain anonymous, seeking third-party review. "I will be remaining anonymous as I will be retaliated against should my identity be revealed," the person said in an email to the Sun. "I really hope that the Mayor and the Council will act in the best interest of Plattsburgh and the community stakeholders affected by this. I really am worried that this will be downplayed as a type of joke that wasn't meant to be offensive. But just like sexual harassment, it is the appropriateness of the conduct heard and experienced by anyone." The mayor's office said they would get to the bottom of the matter. "We will get to the bottom of these allegations and do what's right for all involved," the mayor said Thursday. York, 71, was retained as provisional chief while an ongoing and renewed search for a permanent police chief continues. A 30-year veteran of the New York State Police, he was senior investigator in the department of Bureau of Criminal Investigation and was assigned to the agency's Internal Affairs Bureau. He was Warren County sheriff for three terms, 12 years. Per NYS Civil Service Law, provisional appointments can be as long as nine months unless there's an active Certified Eligible List as a result of a Civil Service test. The next Civil Service testing period is this month. Plattsburgh's police chief is paid between $111,000 and $124,000, according to the city's Job Alert. The police force has 44 officers and has been without permanent leadership since April 2021, when former chief Levi Ritter resigned. He was on administrative leave at the time, facing allegations in an excessive force lawsuit.

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UPDATED City finds no early merit in allegations of racism at City Police

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