Cooperstown Police Chief Diana Nicols will be out of a job soon.
Nicols, 40, received word last week from the New York State and Local Retirement System that she is "permanently incapacitated for the performance of duties." The incapacitation is the result of a knee injury in 2008, which happened during a training class for officers who will train other officers in self-defense.
"It was one of those stupid things," she said of the injury. She has been through two surgeries to correct the knee injury, but she still experiences problems and has been confined to desk work.
"The surgery wasn't as successful as I had hoped," Nicols said. After the second surgery in July 2009, it seemed like her knee was "as good as its going to get," she said. She anticipates the retirement will be effective by the end of the month.
In November, Nicols traveled to New York City to visit Dr. Russell Warren, who works with players on the New York Giants football team. Warren told her he was confident he could help her knee, but the state made the choice for retirement.
"I probably will still have the surgery with him and hopefully it will be better," she said, adding that she believes she would be allowed to come out of retirement if the doctor says she is recovered.
Nicols began her career in law enforcement in 1994 in Oneonta. She was hired in 2000 by the village, and five years later became chief when Mike Crippen retired.
"Cooperstown is my style of policing," she said. "It has been the most fulfilling job in my life."
Nicols said the department does many things for and with the community that are what she called "little services," but important to residents. There are things such as dark house watches, fingerprinting job applicants, helping with lock-outs, traffic control for parades and events and providing preventative information to residents and school children.
She said her future plans are uncertain. She can't be employed in police work but may consider teaching. Nicols has a master's degree in criminal justice and might return to working on her doctorate degree.
Nicols' father, Hank, was also a police chief in Cooperstown and said his daughter's retirement will be a new beginning.
"It's not a job change or a career change; it's a life change," he said. "It's the start of a new and very exciting chapter in her life."
The chief said the department will run smoothly with Sgt. Mark Fassett in charge.
"I have no doubt it will be an easy, smooth transition," she said.
Copyright 2012 - The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
