A Reckless Presser

I am a retired FBI Agent who resides in Saratoga Springs. I expect, at a minimum, that Public Safety Commissioner (PSC) Montagnino, respect and obey the rules and policies in Saratoga Springs. These are the facts:

After a reckless press conference held by the Mayor and PSC, a New York State Supreme Court Justice signed an order, authored by District Attorney Heggen, essentially barring the Mayor and PSC from making future comments on the shootout. According to public sources, Heggen stated, “I didn’t want to do this, but felt compelled to ensure the integrity of the investigation and protect the constitutional right of all involved.”

It is my understanding that this reckless presser should have never happened because the Saratoga Springs media policy, section 324.3, states, “the ultimate authority and responsibility for the release of information to the media shall remain with the Chief of Police.”  

It is clear, if the PSC followed rules and policies, we would not be in this embarrassing situation. The facts I provided indicate a colossal failure of leadership. How could any fair reading of the facts indicate otherwise?

– Respectfully, Tim Coll