Acting New York State Police Superintendent Steven Nigrelli is retiring

BUFFALO, NY (WIVB) – Steven A. Nigrelli, a Western New Yorker native who has served as acting superintendent of the New York State Police since October 2022, is retiring from his position.

Nigrelli announced his resignation in an internal memo late Friday afternoon. A State Police spokeswoman in Albany only confirmed that Nigrelli was retiring. Sources tell News 4 that Nigrelli made the move after Gov. Kathy Hochul decided he would not be her final choice for state police commissioner.

According to a copy of the internal memo obtained by News 4, after being told he was no longer being considered for superintendent, Nigrelli wrote: “I immediately made the difficult decision that I had already discussed in the past “I thought about it last year.”

“While the decision to retire is not an easy one, especially because I truly love being a Soldier, it is time for me to step aside and let the next generation lead this great agency,” Nigrelli’s memo says.

News 4 reached out to Gov. Hochul’s office for comment on Nigrelli’s departure and did not receive a response as of late Friday evening.

As acting chief of the state police, Nigrelli oversaw more than 5,000 officers, investigators and staff.

Nigrelli began his career with the NYSP in 1990 and spent much of his career with Troop “A,” serving eight counties in Western New York. He was part of teams that handled high-profile cases such as the Ralph “Bucky” Phillips manhunt, the “Bike Path Killer” case and the investigation into the Flight 3407 crash. In 2015 he became commander of the force.

Nigrelli is a graduate of Buffalo State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.