Residents urge Plattsburgh council to withhold decision on police chief appointment pending investigation release

Plattsburgh Common Council received sustained public comment May 15 urging council members to delay or reject the mayor’s appointment of Jared Tremblay as police chief until the results of an outside investigation and related records are released.

The call to pause the appointment came from multiple residents who said they had reviewed or sought documents they believe are relevant to the candidate’s fitness for the post. "I want to ensure that each of you, before casting your vote on appointing Jared Tremblay as chief of police, has a full and factual understanding of the individual being considered," Resident April Wood told the council, noting she had compiled and distributed a 65‑page packet of documents to council members and the mayor.

Wood described allegations she said are contained in the packet, saying the material includes "the formal section 75 charges filed against Jared Tremblay to include charge 1, misconduct, incompetence, and insubordination for failing to follow city and department procedures" and a memo placing Tremblay on administrative leave. Joan Jansen, another resident, told the council that appointing a chief with known problems would harm trust: "Without an irreproachable chief of police, how can we hold the staff to equally high standards? We cannot," she said.

Other speakers urged caution or transparency. One resident said the independent investigation had been completed by an outside agency but that the summary had not been made available to the public; Jim (no last name given) told the council, "We'd like to see the results of that investigation, merely because it feels right to do. We need to see the facts that we paid to find out about." Those callers repeatedly asked that the council see and make public the investigation’s findings before confirming the appointment.

At the same time, multiple residents spoke in favor of the mayor’s choice. Denise Nephew (Ward 2) said she supported the appointment and described relationships with the candidate, and former Mayor Jack Stewart and retired Plattsburgh Police Department officer John Stewart also urged support for the nominee, describing leadership qualities they found valuable. Supporters emphasized readiness to restore department resources and community outreach efforts.

Council action during the meeting included votes on mayoral appointments. The record shows the council moved and voted on mayoral appointment items during the session (moved by Councilor Gibbs; seconded by Councilor Evans), and at least one member declared an abstention during roll call. The public comments about the police‑chief nomination occurred during the public comment portion of the agenda prior to those votes. The meeting minutes show the council adopted the mayoral appointment items on the docket; public commenters said they were not certain whether the council had reviewed or would consider the outside investigation results in the appointment decision.

The council did not provide a detailed verbal response to the packet at the dais during public comment; residents repeatedly asked how and when the investigation’s findings would be shared. The topic drew extended public attention and sharply divided testimony, with several speakers urging transparency and others urging swift action to fill the chief’s post.

The council proceeded through its scheduled business after public comment, including roll call votes on appointment items later in the meeting.

A note on sourcing: the allegations described above are drawn from public comments submitted to the council during its May 15 meeting and from materials speakers said they distributed to council members; the council record presented at the meeting indicates the mayor submitted appointment items for council consideration, and the council took roll‑call votes on mayoral appointments during the session.