(Bloomberg) -- New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned after a little more than a year running the biggest US police force, amid a federal investigation that led to agents searching his home this month.
In a message to the police department on Thursday that was seen by Bloomberg News, Caban said the investigation had become a distraction and that he’s made the “difficult decision” to step down.
“I am unwilling to let my attention be on anything other than our important work, or the safety of the men and women of the NYPD,” Caban said in the message. “The NYPD deserves someone who can solely focus on protecting and serving New York City.”
Caban hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing.
Mayor Eric Adams named Thomas Donlon as the interim commissioner. Donlon, a former agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also served as chief of its national threat center and once headed New York’s homeland security division.
“I was as surprised as you to learn of these inquiries,” Adams said at a news briefing Thursday. “I take them extremely seriously.”
The homes of Caban, Deputy Mayors Sheena Wright and Philip Banks as well as other top aides to Adams were searched on Sept. 4 as part of a federal probe. Investigators seized the phones of Caban, his twin brother, James, as well as several other police officers including Edward Caban’s chief of staff, Raul Pintos.
Investigators are seeking information on alleged influence peddling at New York nightclubs by James Caban, a consultant and former cop, according to people familiar with the matter.
Sean Hecker, an attorney representing James Caban, said his client denies any wrongdoing and is fully cooperating with the investigation, adding that his work as a liaison between the NYPD and a private company is “perfectly legal.”
The probe is one of at least three into members of Adams’ inner circle, including one into his 2021 election campaign. They stand to further damage the perception of the former police captain, whose poll numbers have been suffering.
A December survey by Quinnipiac University found Adams with a 28% approval rating, the lowest since the school began polling New York City’s registered voters almost 30 years ago. He faces a potential slew of Democratic primary challengers in the race for a second term helming the biggest US city.
Primary Challengers
Some of those candidates seized on the moment after the resignation.
Former city Comptroller Scott Stringer expressed his concern about security under the current administration, saying, “Mayor Adams’ rudderless and chaotic City Hall has caused dysfunction and a leadership vacuum at the NYPD.”
Zellnor Myrie, a state senator from Brooklyn who is also challenging the incumbent mayor, called the resignation “troubling.”
“At a time when strong, consistent leadership is essential, particularly within our police department, this latest departure only adds to the concerning pattern of instability within the Adams administration,” Myrie said.
James Caban left the NYPD in 2001 after a series of complaints about the use of excessive force, and in 2013 he was sentenced to 30 days in jail after failing to make the necessary repairs to a building where he was the landlord. The brothers remain close and own houses across the street from one another, according to an August 2023 report by City & State.
Edward Caban, 57, became commissioner in July 2023 after Keechant Sewell, the NYPD’s first female leader, resigned after just 18 months. Caban, the first Latino chosen for the role, had a close working relationship with Adams. The New York Times reported last year that Caban had bypassed the rank of chief when Adams promoted him to deputy commissioner in 2022, circumventing the normal hierarchical steps police officers take when ascending to the department’s highest echelon.
Donlon laid out his goals in a statement following his appointment, pledging to “continue the historic progress decreasing crime and removing illegal guns from our communities, uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency, and support our dedicated officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe.”
Donlon’s experience includes being assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force in the FBI’s New York City office where he was co-case agent on the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and he’s participated in other counter-terrorism investigations, including the Sept. 11 attacks. He also worked in security roles at both Credit Suisse Group AG and BlackRock Inc.
--With assistance from Magdalena Del Valle and Laura Nahmias.
(Updates with comment from mayoral candidates starting in 13th paragraph.)
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