Andrew Whitaker picked for Fairport police chief, pending state waiver

fairport has picked Andrew Whitaker of the Irondequoit Police Department as its next police chief, and the village is waiting on a New York State waiver before the appointment becomes official. Bryan White said the village has already made the offer.

“We’ve made an offer. We’re really excited to have him come on board,” White said. Monroe County’s HR website lists Whitaker for a permanent appointment as chief of police at $135,000, with a May 27 start date.

Bryan White on the offer

White said the village had been working on hiring a police chief for months and that the recent events in Fairport did not change the pace of the search. “No, we’ve been working on hiring a police chief for months. It didn’t change the pace or impact that whatsoever,” he said.

The selection came two weeks after a recorded bar fight in Fairport, a case that led to one man being charged with assault. White said the search had already been under way before that incident, placing the hire on a separate track from the arrest.

Fairport police staffing

Fairport Police has 10 full-time officers and two open positions, not including the chief. The department’s website says it is actively hiring, leaving the new chief to step into a small force while the village is still trying to fill rank-and-file slots.

White’s comments and the county listing point to the same next step: state approval. Until the waiver is granted, Whitaker’s move from Irondequoit remains an offered appointment rather than an official one.

Rivoli on main street

Resident Rivoli linked the staffing decision to the village’s busiest area. “I believe a full time policeman in the area would be perfect,” Rivoli said. “Mostly for the main street, the main drag where all the bars are.”

That is where the village’s newest police chief is headed, if New York State signs off on the waiver and the offer becomes final.