Albany Commisioner-elect Matt Fuller doing his homework before assuming office

ALBANY — Matt Fuller’s not one to go into something halfway.

Seeking his own inside information on the often-maligned Albany Police Department, the successful businessman, who defeated incumbent Bobby Coleman in a runoff election Dec. 5 to claim the Ward II seat on the Albany City Commission, asked APD Chief Michael Persley if he could ride along with one of the department’s officers on something of a fact-finding mission.

“We started the shift — I was riding with a very courteous and very professional officer — at 7 p.m., and we hadn’t even gone a mile when the officer made a traffic stop,” Fuller said. “Almost immediately afterward, he got a call about a domestic disturbance, and we spent three hours dealing with a guy on Spice. It took four officers, eventually, to deal with the situation.

“The officers put the man in the back of the police car and, as we were riding along, he kicked the screen between the front and back seats. I liked to have jumped out of my seat.”

Fuller, who will be sworn in as Ward II commissioner on Jan. 8, said the ride-along is a valuable part of his education as he prepares to represent the city on the commission.

“If that (ride-along) did nothing else, it gave me a greater appreciation for what the officers on our police force do,” Fuller said. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a large majority of the major crime issues law enforcement faces are drug-related. But I also had a chance to see first-hand how our officers who put their lives on the line are sometimes treated by the public.

“The officer I rode with said something that really stuck with me. After the guy he arrested raised all kinds of sand in the back of the police car on the way to the jail — and there are people who scream and cuss at the officers for doing their jobs — he said, ‘Protecting these people is part of the job. But when we go through stuff like that, the public gets upset if we’re a little snappy with them.’ I saw that.”

Fuller said he has had “good meetings” with Albany City Manager Sharon Subadan and with Persley in his attempts to “educate myself as much as possible on the topics and issues that the commission is dealing with right now.” He has also, he said, “spoken to or reached out in some way” to most of the other commission members.

Being informed, he says, is a primary concern.

“I think back to when I was in school, I always tried to prepare, prepare, prepare,” Fuller said. “I want to be as informed as possible before I vote on something. Now I understand that you can’t sit down with an expert to talk about every issue that comes up, but I think you have to do that with these big issues that have such an impact on our community.

“One of the things I’ve noticed in following government is that often people vote on issues they know nothing about. It’s a Catch 22, I know: You want progress and you want to move things forward, but at the same time you don’t want to be rushed into it.

“If I’m in a situation where I don’t feel I have enough information to make an informed vote, I can see making a suggestion that we hold off on the vote until we have more information. I can’t imaging many situations where waiting another two weeks will make or break a deal.”

Fuller, who was involved in his first political campaign since he “held up signs” when his grandfather, Joe Champion, ran for Probate Court judge, said the experience of the municipal election was a memorable one.

“I said all along, this was a really great experience, win or lose,” he said. “As I told you before, I loved the going from door-to-door, meeting new people. Sure, I had a few doors slammed in my face, but most people were willing to talk with me about the issues that were important to them. Certainly this was an amazing learning experience.

“I think back to when I was a young boy holding up signs for my granddad, and there were my young son and daughter holding up signs for me. I’ll always remember this.”

Fuller said having once-fellow candidate CaMia Hopson, who finished a close third to Coleman in the five-person Ward II general election, endorse him after he made it to the runoff was beneficial as he claimed the seat on the commission. And he also praised Coleman for his gracious offer of help in transitioning into the office.

Now, though, the commissioner-elect said he’s ready to work with the other members of the board to make the community better.

“As someone told me, ‘Now you start drinking from the fire hose,’” Fuller said. “Now it’s time to be an actual part of the city’s government. I certainly have no plans to go in and tell anyone how we’re supposed to do things. I am prepared to present my ideas and to listen to other commissioners’ ideas and work with them to come up with the best policy to move our city forward.

“As owner of my company, yes, I typically have the final say in how things are done. But I trust my employees enough to give them the leeway to do things the way they think is best. If the goal is to get a specific end result, and they want to achieve it in a direction that I might not necessarily go, I give them the freedom to do things their way, so long as we get the desired results. I’ve served on boards. I’ve worked with others. I know there is a challenge ahead, but I am looking forward to that challenge.”

Fuller, along with Ward III Commissioner B.J. Fletcher and Ward V’s Bob Langstaff, who were both returned to the commission unopposed, will be sworn in Jan. 8 at the City Commission’s yearly organizational meeting. That meeting starts at 6 p.m., with the swearing in set to start at 7 p.m.