Succeeds Larry Burke, who will remain on force
The Cold Spring Village Board on May 1 named Officer Matt Jackson as officer-in-charge, or the equivalent of chief for the part-time force.
He succeeds Larry Burke, who joined the Cold Spring Police Department in 2013 and became officer-in-charge in 2017. At the Village Board meeting, Burke handed over his badge to Jackson, who joined the force in 2021 and was recently named officer of the year.
“Larry has served the village beyond all expectations,” Mayor Kathleen Foley said on April 10, when Burke announced he would step down from his leadership role.
When Jackson was named officer of the year in March, Foley praised him for “consistently demonstrating strong character, positive work ethic, confidence and excellence in discharging his duties in a calm and steady demeanor.”
She listed a number of his outstanding actions in 2022-23, including aiding a mother giving birth; locating a lost adult suffering from dementia; administering naloxone in two overdose incidents; restoring the heartbeat of a cardiac arrest victim; and de-escalating a confrontation after a traffic incident, including securing a weapon drawn by one of the motorists.
Foley also noted that Jackson has taken on a leadership role with the Cold Spring Police Benevolent Association and is spearheading officer training for the department’s new computer-aided dispatch system.
