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Update: Albany Searching For New Police Chief; Sears To Retire

Acting Police Chief Robert Sears
WAMC photo by Dave Lucas
Acting Police Chief Robert Sears

The acting Albany police chief will retire as the city moves ahead with its nationwide search for a new chief.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan announced Tuesday afternoon she has formed an advisory committee made up of several community leaders. They will interview and evaluate candidates for the permanent police chief position. The advisory committee will recommend several finalists for Mayor Sheehan to interview. Sheehan, a Democrat, says she will select the next police chief in the coming weeks.

Acting Police Chief Robert Sears, who took over the department in January 2017, is not applying for the permanent position, but plans to remain until a new chief is installed. City Hall says Sears plans to retire later this summer.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.