Police Commissioner resigns amid federal probe

Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned as he and other members of the Adams Administration face federal investigations Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office 

By Ryan Schwach

New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned on Thursday amid federal probes into him and his brother that saw his phone seized and house raided by FBI agents.

Caban tendered his resignation to Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday after just under 14-months as the city’s top cop, and exactly a week removed from the first reports he was facing a federal probe.

News broke of Caban’s resignation on Thursday morning, and came after reports from early in the week that he would imminently step down.

“[Caban] concluded that this is the best decision at this time,” Mayor Eric Adams said via a virtual address on Thursday. “I respect his decision, and I wish him well.”

Last Thursday, Caban had his home searched by FBI agents and his phone seized as investigators reportedly look into the actions of his brother James, and the NYPD’s policing of nightclubs.

James Caban was fired by the NYPD in 2001 for abuse of authority, and their father, Juan, was also a member of the NYPD.

The investigation is one of two probes looking into members of the Adams’ Administration.

Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, his brother and Schools Chancellor Phil Banks, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and advisor Tim Perason also had their homes searched or electronic devices seized last week.

“I was as surprised as you to learn of these inquiries, and I take them extremely seriously,” Adams said during his Thursday address. “I spent more than 20 years in law enforcement, so every member of the administration knows my expectations that we must follow the law.”

In an internal email to NYPD personnel obtained by THE CITY, Caban said that the investigations into himself were a distraction to the police department.

“The NYPD deserves someone who can solely focus on protecting and serving New York City, which is why — for the good of this city and this department — I have made the difficult decision to resign as police commissioner,” he wrote.

Caban graduated from Queens’ St. John’s University in 1989 and rose up the ranks at the NYPD, working in his home borough of the Bronx at the 40th Precinct as a police officer.

Edward Caban, Mayor Eric Adams’ second commissioner, resigned Thursday after just under 14 months at the job.  Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

Last July, Caban was sworn in on the steps of that precinct as the first Hispanic police commissioner in the city’s history. He succeeded Adams’ first commissioner, Keechant Sewell, who stepped down amid reported conflicts with Adams and Deputy Mayor Banks.

During his address on Thursday, Adams backed the work Caban did in his time overseeing the nation’s largest police department.

“Commissioner Caban dedicated his life to making our city safer, and we saw a drop in crime for 13 of the 14 months he served as commissioner in his time as part of the NYPD,” he said.

However, much of Caban’s tenure – the shortest commissioner stint since Richard Condon in 1990 – was marred by controversy.

That included his decision to not discipline his Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey when the chief voided the arrest of a retired officer, personally intervening in other disciplinary cases and criticisms from advocates on wider policing practices.

On Thursday, Adams also appointed Tom Donlon, a former FBI official who now works in private security, as the interim police commissioner.

“Tom is an experienced law enforcement professional who has worked at the local, state, federal and international levels,” Adams said.

Donlon worked as New York's Director of the Office of Homeland Security, in the FBI Threat Center as well as the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force.

“I am honored and humbled to be named interim-Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, the greatest law enforcement agency in the world,” Donlon said in a statement to the New York Post. “My goals are clear: 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.”

In the wake of the announcement, several Queens officials and leaders chimed and responded to the commissioner’s resignation.

“Eric Adams has stacked the leadership of the world’s largest police force with bullies and crooks,” said Queens Assemblymember Zohram Mamdani, a stalwart opponent of the administration who is considering a run for mayor. “Another NYPD commissioner won’t fix this—only a new Mayor can.”

Queens Councilmember and Common Sense Caucus Bob Holden was among the first to call for Caban’s resignation.

"I want to thank Police Commissioner Caban for his dedicated service to the city and for making the difficult decision to step down for the greater good of the department and New York,” said Holden. “The integrity of the NYPD is paramount, and his decision allows the department to move forward without this distraction, ensuring it can continue its critical mission of providing public safety for all New Yorkers."