The Fourth and Quite Unexpected Experience in A Week Was with the
Coeymans Police Department

Actually, this is the third out of four reports from the Ravena-Coeymans community that is POSTIVE. Yes! POSITIVE!

A Pleasant Change of Pace
A Story About A Good Apple

Our readers are well aware that we are supportive of eliminating the Coeymans Police Department and placing it under the supervision and control of a highly professional, highly trained, and well-equipped law enforcement entity. We supported and continue to support the proposal of placing the Coeymans Police Department under the supervision and control of the Albany County Sheriff’s Department. We do not advocate, however, taking the decent and professional career law enforcement professions out of our community but we do advocate getting rid of the ethically and morally corrupt or deficient individuals who do not know measures or boundaries. Of the entire Coeymans police force, the bad apples number about two or three individuals who really should not be in law enforcement—anywhere.

Some of you may also recall that last year on May 16, 2012, we published an article to our local law enforcement on how much we appreciate them and that we do know who the good ones are and who the rogues are, and how to tell the difference. If you don’t remember the article you can find it at: For the Sake of Decency and Respect… We still feel the same way and want our good law enforcement officers to know that we appreciate you for the fine men and women you are and for the sacrifices you make for us.

But, again, as we have in the past, we would like to share a very impressive and positive experience we have had with a member of the Coeymans Police Department that gives us hope.

We experienced a regrettable incident last week and today served the village of Ravena with a Notice of Claim charging the village of Ravena and one of its employees with some serious violations of state and federal laws. No, it’s not surprising, we know. But if you don’t use your rights and defend them, you’ll soon lose them. So we served the village of Ravena with the Notice of Claim telling them that they have some big problems and will have to face the music.

As expected, the village of Ravena was rather dour and as defensive as one could reasonably expect with what goes on in that place. When you have so much to hide you get defensive, as in Ravena’s case.

The second trip today, after having served the village of Ravena with the legal papers was a trip to the Coeymans Police Department, which, to be honest, we dreaded.

On entering we were greeted very nicely by the dispatcher on duty. Courteous, helpful, responsive. First good sign!

We had a deposition to files but the dispatcher couldn’t date-time stamp it into the record for us so we had to go to the Clerk’s office, upstairs. The clerk there was a gem of courtesy, friendliness, and helpfulness. I really started to ask myself if I were in the right place!

The clerk logged the deposition into the record and promised to get it downstairs to the police department. A lovely conversation ensued until I had to excuse myself; I was already late for a haircut appointment.  (Yes. It was local.)

After my appointment I returned to the Coeymans Police Department and the dispatcher was just as friendly as before…Lookin’ good!

When the officer came in to take my complaint I was a bit concerned how it would go, since I’ve received so many complaints and stories about the Coeymans police (usually the stories are about the bad ones, hardly anyone mentions the good ones). So this is a report on a good one, a very good one.

I’d rather not mention names but I will: Officer Jason Alberts. There is nothing better than a police officer who has character, respect for his dialogue partner, and is a listener and not a barking nuisance. Officer Jason Alberts’ conduct—his conduct not his words— persuaded me that it is time to give credit where the credit is due: to the good apples on the Coeymans law enforcement team. It goes far beyond that, though, and means that the men and women who provide best positive image maker the Coeymans Police Department and the community need to become more visible and need to be recognized by us, the citizens and residents whom they serve. can hope to have. There are others, P. McKenna, for example, who do their job but do it respecting the dignity of the people they are serving.

The purpose of this blog has never been to beat anyone up but to get people to think. When we do mention names we hope that the names will stop for a minute and ask themselves the important question, “Why am I making that impression on the blogger?” “What am I doing to make him see me that way?” and “I may need to change my act if that’s how anyone perceives me!” But some people just never get it. You can rub their noses in it but it still smells like roses to them. They never see beyond the words to read the message. Too bad!

We ask nothing more of our law enforcement personnel but to be fair, have integrity, be respectful, and realize that everyone has personal dignity.  If our law enforcement personnel achieve those objectives then, when they are doing their jobs, the jobs we pay them to do and the jobs we expect them to do, when we do get caught, it’s not the law officer’s fault, it’s our own fault. Self-awareness and a sense of fairness will help us to put the blame in the right place.

Just Take Responsibility

So, we’d like to ask our readers to share with us their good experiences with our law enforcement men and women. We’ll publish the good as happily as we publish the bad but we need to hear from YOU!

In the meantime…

Thank You! Officer Jason Alberts
A Grateful Citizen