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SARATOGA SPRINGS – Tyler McIntosh, who was previously a lieutenant in the Saratoga Springs Police Department, has been named the next police chief following the retirement of chief Shane Crooks.
Crooks, who announced late last year that he was eyeing retirement, filed his retirement papers effective June 30, according to a press release from Public Safety Commissioner James Montagnino.
McIntosh was one of three people who was eligible for the police chief position after passing the civil service exam. Lt. Robert Jillson retired earlier this year leaving just McIntosh and Sgt. Paul Veitch up for the position.
However, Montagnino had been trying to get the civil service to allow him to open the position up to people outside the department but the plans never came to fruition. Montagnino said another exam was just given for the position but the list of those who passed was not available yet.
Montagnino said McIntosh has stood out to him since he met him.
“He’s got such an incredible resume,” Montagnino said. “You look at the objective criteria and you see somebody with proven leadership skills that go beyond just the police department.”
McIntosh could not immediately be reached for comment.
McIntosh began working in the department in 2012 after graduating from SUNY Plattsburgh that year. He went on to get a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in leadership from Marist College in 2019, according to the release.
He also has a graduate certificate in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia and is set to graduate from the FBI National Academy on June 8.
Beyond working for the police department McIntosh has been with the United Stated Army Reserve and New York Army National Guard since 2006 and holds the rank of major, according to the release.
During his time with the reserves and guard he was deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom to Iraq. He has also served in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017 and in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for Operation Enduring Freedom.
McIntosh has moved through the ranks of the department starting as a patrolman, then patrol sergeant and then patrol lieutenant. He took over as the accreditation lieutenant after Lt. Robert Jillson retired earlier this year.
McIntosh also sits on the Downtown Advisory Committee, which formed in the aftermath of the Nov. 20 shooting to create new safety measures downtown.
Montagnino called McIntosh an “all-around proven leader.” who has “excelled at everything he’s been asked to do.”
But Montagnino said he also goes above and beyond, stepping forward to take on tasks.
“Just for example look at last summer he was physically present on Caroline Street in the wee hours of the morning on the weekends making sure that the area was safe,” he said. “That’s the kind of job he does.”
McIntosh holds several military honors and was named Officer of the Year in 2015.
McIntosh’s hiring doesn’t come without controversy though. McIntosh was one of the six officers named in the case of Darryl Mount, a 21-year-old biracial man who died during a pursuit by police in August 2013. Mount died from injuries he sustained following a fall from a 19-foot scaffold.
Montagnino said that history did play a role in his decision.
Montagnino said based on his 37-page review of the incident it showed McIntosh “acting entirely appropriately and did exactly what he was trained to do and required to do under the circumstances.”
He said McIntosh has been accused of murder and “being an executioner” but never let those accusations get to him.
“He’s never taken the bait,” Montagnino said. “Never done anything to indicate that’s gotten under his skin. He knows that he’s done nothing wrong, that he did everything right and he’s confident in himself and that goes a long way and helped me in making the decision.”
Saratoga Black Lives Matter founder Lexis Figuereo could not immediately be reached for comment on McIntosh’s hiring.
Crooks leaves, having been with the city police department since 2004 and chief since the summer of 2019.
“Everybody here I think is going to miss chief Crooks,” Montagnino said. “He’s been a very stable influence on the department. He’s a very ethical and very capable leader and he will be missed and we thank him for his many years of service.”
Reporter Shenandoah Briere can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on twitter @ByBriere.
Categories: News, Saratoga County, Saratoga Springs
