Saratoga Springs hasn’t always had the bustling downtown it has today, but these days, it’s a city to envy. While the secret to its success isn’t any one thing, one major factor may have something to do with those who keep it safe.
The Saratoga Springs Police Department has been ensuring that safety since June 1, 1887, when eight officers set out on the firstofficial patrol. Today the force staffs 65 officers (the City Charter allows72), and all along, it has shifted with the needs of the city.
“It’s our responsibility to make sure that everyone here is safe in their person and in their property – and in that order,” said Lt. Sean Briscoe.
Taking it to the streetsPedestrian traffic can be heavy along Saratoga’s streets on a summer Friday evening. All directions lead to a robust nightlife, and patrolling the metropolis has its challenges.
On either side of the dinner hour, you’ll likely see a mixeddemographic with a heavy smattering of families. Between 10 and 11 p.m. the crowd makeup shifts and becomes populated with more nightclub and bar patrons until 4 a.m.
“There’s a certain dynamic there. It’s evolved on its own. That’s how the city works,” said Capt. Michael Chowske, while traveling the city’s streets in a patrol car Friday, Aug. 10, during a shift that would last into early Saturday morning. “The biggest thing I’m looking for is the music can’t be so loud that it’s bothering the residential neighborhood. That’s a big complaint we get right now.”
The city’s noise ordinance and last call have been discussed at length in recent months among the department, the public and elected officials. Chowske said that the ordinance is a little vague, though most “hang their hats” on the part of it that says they have until midnight on the weekends to make noise in the business district.
Chowske added that the noise ordinance is very subjective.
“What I might think of as unreasonable, you might not think is unreasonable,” he said. “People in the neighborhoods are saying that the music is too loud. The people downtown are saying ‘We’re just trying to have a good time.’”
City officials are still trying to hammer out what changes should be made to the noise ordinance.
Last call
Chowske said that if Spa City’s last call were moved to an earlier time (it stands at 4 a.m. now), he’d like to know that every option had been investigated. He said that if last call was earlier, bar patrons wanting to drink past that time would likely buy more beer at the markets, and parties may be picked up in homes and parking lots.
“I wouldn’t say you can’t change it because of that, but it’s something to look at,” he said.
Chowske also pointed out that many bars already close at 2or 3 a.m. and that an earlier last call would dump everybody out onto the streets at once.
Keeping the peaceOne of the other things Chowske monitors on a typical evening patrol is that everybody is moving along and there’s no “bullying” going on. He said that around midnight, there are several teams of officers on foot on Caroline Street, where pedestrian traffic becomes congested.
Chowske said that in years past, bars were more spread out, but now they’re concentrated within about a four-block area around Caroline Street.
“Back in the’70s Saratoga wasn’t the booming entertainment it is now. …You didn’t go down Caroline Street unless you were selling or buying drugs. You went to the bars on Broadway.”
Now that a majority of the nightclubs area in one area, Chowske said, it works out well for the force because it keeps everything contained.
“But by the same token, it’s a little bit difficult when they all start letting out,” he said.
Lt. Briscoe said that downtown traffic becomes more congested in the summer, and the frequency of alcohol-fueled incidents increases.
“DWIs are a lot higher in the summer than they are in the rest of the year,” he said.
“Just every type of call gets more frequent.”
He added that most people just want to come out in Saratoga and have a good time and see the sights, although a few people who might have little too much to drink at night can “kind of ruin it.”
A call comes in
While on Friday’s evening patrol, Chowske noted a patrol car parked on Broadway near City Center and headed to the parking lot behind the Algonquin Building on Broadway just before 11 p.m. to locate the patrol officers.
Upon arrival, Chowske observed two patrol cars parked in the lot with officers shining spotlights into an apartment window of the building, about three stories up. A few pushed out screens were evident, and it was known that at least one person entered the building via the fire escape.
The flicker of a television set could be seen through the closed blinds of the apartment. As officers were assessing the situation, possible scenarios started to bubble up. Could it be a drunk who forgot his key? Was it a burglary in progress?
Shortly after Chowske’s arrival, the owner of the building had shown up to let the officers enter the apartment. Officers discovered three 15-year-olds, who did not live in the building, in a friend’s apartment. The friend was not at home at the time.
In the end, the parents of the minors were notified as was the tenant of the apartment. No charges were pressed against the minors after the investigation.
Back at the station
While officers are busy patrolling the streets, there is, of course, business as usual back at the station.
There have been some minor fixes there in recent months, including a fresh coat of paint – the first in three decades – but there are many more things that could use some attention.
“There’s been some talk about some more renovations in this building. … Everyone gets to put in their wish list. I have no idea where we stand,” said Chowske.
In May it was discovered that the city’s fund balance has grown to the point of $1.55 million over the maximum amount planners figure should be on hand. To figure out just where the money will be spent, Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan has been prioritizing the city’s needs.
“Some funds could be invested for the taxpayers in capital improvement projects for fire and police,” said Madigan in a May interview.
Commissioner of Public Safety Chris Mathiesen said that the biggest area of concern for his department, regarding the police department is the availability of funding.
“It is important to be able to provide resources so that the police department can act efficiently and proactively as they protect and serve our community,” Mathiesen said. `Our police department is well respected by other law enforcement agencies. They have responded well to the challenges that they face on a daily basis. Our city is busy with year-round tourism and convention activities. Our neighborhoods and our vibrant business district require adequate levels of security. We work with the police department in many ways to support their efforts.`
