By Michael V. Cusenza
With a jarring federal probe looming daily ever since his home was raided two weeks ago by government agents toting search warrants, Edward Caban on Thursday resigned as City police commissioner.
Longtime lawman Tom Donlon has been appointed interim commissioner, Adams added in an address to New Yorkers.
“A short time ago I accepted the resignation of the NYPD commissioner, Edward Caban. He concluded that this is the best decision at this time. I respect his decision and I wish him well. 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 during our administration, we removed more than 18,000 illegal guns off our streets, had the lowest number of robberies in recorded history in our subway system, and just had the lowest number of shootings above ground ever in recorded history in this city in [an] August.
“To ensure crime keeps going down in our city today, I’m taking immediate action in appointing Tom Donlon as interim police commissioner. Tom is an experienced law enforcement professional who has worked at the local, state, federal, and international levels. He served as New York’s director of the Office of Homeland Security, ran the FBI’s National Threat Center, and the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force, and worked as the co-case agent investigating the 1993 Twin Towers bombing, as well as the attacks on the U.S. embassy in Africa and the USS Cole in Yemen by al-Qaeda. He is also a Bronx native. Tom joins a team at One Police Plaza that is relentlessly dedicated to public safety and protecting New Yorkers. That is why New York is the safest big city in the world and why it will continue to be. I thank Incoming Commissioner Donlon for stepping in during this critical moment.
“As always, the men and women of the NYPD have my gratitude for their dedication and professionalism. I thank them for their command and their decision-making as we move forward and for the continued service that they deliver to all New Yorkers.”
Earlier this month, several city councilmembers said Caban should resign immediately.
“I want to thank [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,” Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth) said. “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.”
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Public Safety Committee Chairman Yusef Salaam wrote in a joint statement, “It is unfortunate our city is in this situation. The NYPD has an important role to play in keeping our city safe and requires steady leadership and trust with the public to succeed. The police commissioner must ensure the department is committed to the safety of all New Yorkers, transparency, and accountability. We look forward to working with Interim Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon and the entire department to advance public safety and ensure the NYPD is responsive to the needs of our communities.”
