UPDATE: At about the same time that Lucian hit publish on this blog post, WNYT ran an exclusive report confirming Cole's retirement. We've since confirmed that news, too, although Cole has not returned numerous phone calls. Here's our story on his retirement and his turbulent 3-1/2-year tenure as police chief: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2013/04/24/news/doc517850bbc4590888048702.txt
-- Emily

This is a rumor, but one that I have heard from a number of people (people who would know if it were true).

Chief Cole may be retiring from his role at the head of the Saratoga Spring Police Department.

I'm not sure of the reasons.

I have put calls in to: Public Safety Commissioner Christian Mathiesen, Deputy Commissioner Eileen Finneran, Cole's office and cell phones but they didn't answer and I haven't heard back.

I did speak to Assistant Chief Greg Veitch, who I hear is the likely successor, but he said he had no comment about the rumors.

He said, however, that he is no longer considering a run for Saratoga County Sheriff, a change from earlier this month when he told me he was.

Police Benevolent Association President Paul Veitch said he too had heard rumors, but would not comment on them.

Civil Service Commission Secretary Patsy Barrigan said her office has not received any letters of resignation or retirement from Cole.

She said a Civil Service list is being compiled from a test in March but won't be done until June. In the meantime, the names of the five people who took it are not public.

Last time around (in June 2011, about a year and a half after Cole's promotion to chief), there were only two people who took the test: Greg Veitch and now-retired Captain Michael Chowske.

Barrigan said Chowske still has time to come out of retirement, though, if he wanted to be considered for the job (but added, "who would want to come out of retirement?")

Like I said, I don't know the reasons, but it has certainly been a tough run for Cole as chief.

He started the job behind the 8-Ball, coming in after seven officers were laid off amid budget concerns and things didn't get better.

He was the focus of a sexting scandal that at a time when Rep. Anthony Weiner's political career was crashing and burning for the same reason. 

Last year the department was roundly criticized for its handling of information following a reported rape on a city street.

More recently there have been a series of high-profile crimes (alleged machete assault, alleged hammer assault, alleged beating of a woman with a BB gun on Granger Avenue, sexual assault and robbery of a woman outside her home on Union Street).

Major crimes, including violent crimes, are up for the third year running (See 2010 Public Safety Annual Report, 2011 Annual report and the recent 2012 Public Safety Annual Report).

Recently Assistant Chief Veitch gave a presentation at a Planning Board meeting to address some of the concerns of the public over safety in the Spa City. 


Anyway, I'll of course be following up on this tomorrow (barring hearing from any of the people I have already called tonight), so stay tuned. 

Remember the days when I used to blog? For those of you who don't, I think I'm with you-- it seems like a lifetime ago.

Believe you-me, it's not because I don't like to blog. Indeed, it's a lot easier than writing a story — unfortunately, lately if I want to blog that would mean a story does not get written.

For those who don't know, we've been down a reporter ever since Suzanna Lourie left us. Add to that another reporter's January schedule which seems to have more vacation days than working days and you get an equation that equals a dead blog (and an unprecedented amount of overtime at The Saratogian).

What is particularly terrible about that situation, is there has been a lot to blog about.

For instance, I started a blog post (which will appear at the bottom of this blog post) two weeks ago and didn't finish it. In fact, I stopped in the middle of a sentence. I don't remember why. Undoubtedly I had to run off to a meeting, accident, fire, scandal, investigate an anonymous tip, etc.

But I want to ensure the world wide web out there, I will return to cyberspace with a vengeance whenever my workload slows enough to allow it.

But here, to at least give the loyal dozen or so people who still check in on the blog from time to time a little something to read, here is a two-week old blog I finally found time to finish.

11:39 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 17. City Hall.
Mayor Scott Johnson sat in his desk, loosened his tie and said "If I heard it once I heard it 1,000 times about the need for transparency in government. Is that what happened here tonight?"

Johnson seemed to be the last person in the City Council chambers earlier that night to know that the vote was coming on assigning the Fire Department to take over ambulance transport service in the city.

"I haven't decided that yet," the mayor said moments before the vote. "Am I the alone here in terms of not understanding this was going to be the vote this evening? We have a lot of unresolved issues that have been raised even tonight."

After a pregnant silence, Accounts Commissioner John Franck responded. "It was my understanding, going into tonight, that it wasn't a definite answer that we were going to vote on this this evening, but after the workshop I feel that the votes are there and that isn't going to change.

Franck said "I think everyone has some unanswered questions," but voted for the measure provided there was a "sunset clause" that would require the City Council to vote to continue with the program after a two-year trial period.

And despite the mayor's opposition to the plan, (here's where I stopped) the council passed the fire department's takeover of EMS service at a vote that came after deadline (11 p.m. — our print story said the vote was coming).

Mathiesen, days later, responded to Johnson's claims. "There was nothing opaque about the vote," he said. He pointed out it had been on the agenda. It wasn't a late add.

However, I will point out that in a conversation the day before with Deputy Commissioner Eileen Finneran, she said the vote was "just to get the ball rolling," on the fire department taking EMS over.

"The ball is rolling," Johnson said. "In fact the ball is gone."