Brendan Cox has returned to lead the Albany Police Department. He was sworn in Monday by Mayor Kathy Sheehan.
Cox, an Albany native and 23-year veteran of the force, previously served as Assistant Chief of Police, Deputy Chief of Police, and as chief from 2015 until 2017, when he left for a position at the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program with LEAD's National Support Bureau.
Sheehan called on Cox to return to the force to replace Eric Hawkins, who resigned after more than six years to take a similar position in his native Michigan. Sheehan highlighted Cox's dedication to community safety.
"He's a proven leader, both as a command officer and as a member of this community," said Sheehan. "He has shown his dedication to strategies that work, strategies that help to reduce violence in communities. He is also dedicated to ensuring that our community has the resources that it needs in order to address the underlying causes of violence."
Under Cox, Albany became the third city in the country to implement police strategies regarded as "progressive and innovative," which drew national attention when the White House and the Department of Justice chose Albany as one of 15 cities to serve as a model for implementation of the recommendations from President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.
"You know, there was no hesitancy in returning," Cox said. "I think what I needed to do is just make sure that I was returning for the right reasons. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to create any kind of instability."
Cox says he’s aware there have been changes in the city, particularly from being down 10-15 sworn officers when he left to now being down 70-75 officers. He says staffing is one of his top priorities.
“Things change, things are dynamic. While the neighborhoods might all be the same, that doesn't mean they're all facing the same exact challenges as they were when I was here. I think we have a more acute mental health crisis. I think we might have a more acute homelessness issue. We certainly had those issues when I was here, but I think they might be a little more in your face, and that leads to a perception of lack of public safety. But those aren't all things that the police can solve on their own, so we need, we need partnerships to address those, and I look forward to working with the people that can help address them,” said Cox.
Former city police officer Kelly Kimbrough is President Pro Tempore of the Albany Common Council and represents the 4th ward. He says Cox is a great choice to lead the department once again.
"He's familiar with the lay of the land. Community policing in Albany has been what's really made things work around here for us, and he gets it," said Kimbrough, adding he's "all for" Cox continuing as Chief once Sheehan, who is not seeking a fourth term, leaves office at the end of 2025. Cox says for now he's focusing on the coming year.
"I'm really focused on helping the mayor get through transition, knowing that there's an election. And we'll take that step when that step comes," Cox said.
