Police Chief Brendan Cox speaks after being sworn in Dec. 2 by Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. Cox previously served as police chief from July 2015 to January 2017.
Police Chief Brendan Cox speaks after being sworn in on Dec. 2 by Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. Cox previously served as police chief from July 2015 to January 2017.
Chief Brendan Cox, left, shakes hands with Albany County District Attorney-elect Lee Kindlon after being sworn last week by Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan.
Chief Brendan Cox speaks after being sworn in last week by Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan.
The intention here isn’t to knock Eric Hawkins now that he’s gone.
Albany’s generally well-respected former police chief was dealt a difficult hand, and it would be unfair to claim that Albany’s continuing problems with high rates of violent crime were his fault. But Hawkins seemed worn down by the difficulty of the work here, and we all know he wanted to return to his home state of Michigan, as he did.
The Albany Police Department should benefit from a fresh perspective and a new voice at the top — even if that new voice is familiar.
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“This is my home,” said Brendan Cox, 54, when I asked why he agreed to return to his former job in an interim role. “This is where I grew........