NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban announced his resignation on Thursday following mounting pressure for him to step down after a federal investigation led to the seizure of his and other top police officials’ devices last week.
Caban said he made the decision to resign after the “news around recent developments” had “created a distraction for our department,” according to an email to the police department.
“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,” he added
Mayor Eric Adams spoke following the resignation letter on Tuesday. "I accepted the resignation of NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban. This is the best decision at this time. I respect his decision and wish him well."
He also announced Tom Donlon, a Bronx native, as the interim commissioner of the NYPD. "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 leadership, decision-making, and continued service to New York. Thank you. God bless our great city and the bright future ahead."
Donlon previously served as the chief of the FBI’s National Threat Center and once led the Office of Homeland Security in New York, before starting his own security firm in 2020.
“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.
"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," he added. "I want to thank outgoing Commissioner Caban for his service to this department throughout his more than 30-year career and I look forward to building on the progress this administration has made keeping New York City the safest big city in America.”
PBA President Patrick Hendry also responded to the resignation in a statement. “We thank Commissioner Caban for always listening to our concerns and being willing to work with us on the issues affecting our members. We wish him the best in the future.”
"No matter who is leading the NYPD, this remains a uniquely challenging period for police officers on the streets," Hendry said. “We need the next police commissioner to continue working with us to face those challenges head-on from day one.”
Initial reports had surfaced earlier this week that Caban was planning to resign. However, Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard had told 1010 WINS, "He is still the police commissioner and has no intention of resigning."
Adams had declined to say Tuesday if he remained confident in Caban, days after federal agents seized the cellphones of the head of the police department and at least four other high-ranking mayoral deputies.
In his first news conference since the whirlwind of seizures, Adams — whose own devices were taken by FBI agents in November — acknowledged that the sudden increase in federal scrutiny had “raised a lot of questions and a lot of concerns.” He had then deflected questions about whether he planned to remove Caban amid a series of news reports claiming Caban is under pressure to resign.
“I have the utmost confidence in the New York City Police Department,” Adams had said when asked if he remained confident in Caban’s leadership, noting that if there are any changes, his administration would announce them.
Over the weekend, local officials such as Council Members Lincoln Restler of Brooklyn and Robert Holden of Queens both had called on Caban to step down.
The investigation, which led to the seizure of Caban’s phone and electronics, as well as those of approximately 15 other NYPD members, may center around Caban’s twin brother. The probe is a exploring whether his brother arranged security or protection for certain nightclubs, according to sources.
The feds also interviewed members of the police department at a Lower Manhattan building that houses offices for NYPD task force units.
No charges have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.
The seizures came nearly a year after federal agents seized Adams’ phones and iPad as he was leaving an event in Manhattan in a separate investigation. Investigators also searched the homes of a top Adams campaign fundraiser and a member of his administration’s international affairs office.
In February, federal authorities searched two properties belonging to his director of Asian affairs as part of another investigation overseen by the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn.
Then earlier this summer, Adams, his campaign and City Hall all received subpoenas from federal prosecutors requesting information about the mayor’s overseas travel and potential connections to the Turkish government.
The most recent round of searches appear to be unrelated to the Turkey inquiry and the investigation by Brooklyn federal prosecutors, sources told 1010 WINS.
Throughout the various FBI activities, Adams has forcefully maintained that he has followed the law and that he would continue to focus on his duties as mayor.
Asked repeatedly at news conferences about the investigations, Adams has said his mantra is to “stay focused, no distractions and grind.”
Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for the mayor, said nothing would hamper the administration’s ability to govern.
“For the better part of a year, the mayor has been absolutely clear that, as a former member of law enforcement, he will always follow the law, and in the same time he has stayed focused on delivering for the people of the city,” Levy said in a statement Friday, pointing to recent drops in crime and increases in job numbers and other city initiatives.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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