COMMUNITY

A Closer Look at Saratoga’s Commissioner of Public Safety

By Natalie Moore

June 2, 2021

Ever since the City of Saratoga Springs voted to keep its commission form of government in November 2020, Saratoga Living has been homing in on the duties of each of the city’s five commissioners. In this issue, we’re getting to know the commissioner of public safety.

The Public Safety Commissioner runs:

• The Police Department
• The Fire Department
• Emergency Management
• Traffic Control
• Animal Control
• Code Enforcement

The Public Safety Commissioner oversees:

• Approximately 200 employees (compared to the mayor’s department, which has 30 employees)

• A budget of about $26 million (compared to the mayor’s department, which has a budget of $2.57 million)

In a typical year, the Public Safety Commissioner…

• Works on particular safety issues at hand and the initiatives he or she campaigned upon

During COVID, the Public Safety Commissioner also…

• Had the daunting task of implementing the city’s COVID response and emergency management plan

Natalie Moore

Natalie Moore is the editor of Saratoga Living and Capital Region Living magazines. A native of Ballston Lake, she began her career as an editorial intern at Saratoga Living, and, essentially, never left. In addition to overseeing the creation of the print magazines, she is the main contributor to Saratoga Living After Hours, a Substack newsletter that covers the Spa City’s social scene. In an alternate reality, she is a professional pickleball player.