City police department under new leadership

PLATTSBURGH | On Feb. 17, Lt. Darin Perrotte announced his resignation from the Plattsburgh City Police Department. During the public comment portion of the City of Plattsburgh's weekly Common Council meeting, Perrotte listed several reasons for his departure in a letter he read to the board, some having to do with the controversy surrounding the City of Plattsburgh Police Chief search. 'TALENTS WERE RECOGNIZED' "The truth is I left because my talents were recognized and appreciated by another municipality and they have asked me to lead the men and women of their police department to provide their community with the same great public safety service the community of Plattsburgh has come to expect from me as an officer and more recently as a police administrator," Perrotte read to the council. Perrotte served for 12 years with the Plattsburgh Police Department and was promoted to lieutenant in April 2021. He is leaving the department to take on the role of police chief for the Village of Saranac Lake. The search for the City Police Chief has been renewed after the last nomination was voted down by the council. The new application deadline is March 4. "My goal remains the same: find a new chief of police who has a strong balance between command, administrative, and management experience," Mayor Chris Rosenquest said recently. FORMER SHERIFF NAMED INTERIM CHIEF Following a lengthy executive session, former Warren County Sheriff Nathan 'Bud' York was made provisional police chief in a nonunanimous vote, with Councilor Jeff Moore choosing to abstain due to not having enough information and Councilor Elizabeth Gibbs voting nay. Officials said York will serve for the duration of the ongoing and renewed search for a permanent chief. York is also a 30-year veteran of the New York State Police having served as a senior investigator in the department of Bureau of Criminal Investigation and was assigned to the agency's Internal Affairs Bureau. 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. "For the first time the majority of the Council shares the same concerns as my office when it comes to our city not having a commanding officer in the Police Department," Rosenquest said in a statement the following day. "As much as this is a temporary appointment, Bud is the right person for the job in the short time we need him." Rosenquest said "A major consideration for this provisional appointment is the length of time we've been without a chief and the fact that we're waiting for a list. Mr. York will serve the City until we receive that list and proceed to select a permanent Chief. Mayor Pro Tem Kelly will facilitate conversations with the Council to ensure that process is widely accepted and fulfills the needs of the Council to remain informed leading up to the appointment."

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City police department under new leadership

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