New York Police Commissioner resigns amid corruption investigation

New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban has resigned a week after it came to light that federal authorities searched his home and confiscated his phone, New York Mayor Eric Adams announced.

The federal government has launched several criminal investigations into the city government, involving officials including Mr. Caban, the city's first Latin American police commissioner.

Following Mr Caban's resignation, Adams had to appoint a new head of the world's largest police force for the third time in three years.

He chose Tom Donlon, who headed the FBI's National Threat Center and was involved in the agency's investigation into the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York.

During a brief press conference Thursday afternoon, Adams praised Caban's tenure as NYPD chief, saying there had been “a decrease in crime in 13 of the 14 months he served as commissioner.”

He then thanked Mr Donlon, who is from the Bronx, “for his intervention at this critical moment.”

He noted that Mr. Donlon also helped investigate al-Qaeda attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa and the USS Cole in Yemen.

In a statement, Mr Donlon said he was honoured and humbled to take on the role of interim commissioner.

He said he would try to “maintain the highest standards of integrity and transparency.”

Mr Caban first announced his intention to resign in a letter sent to NYPD officials on Thursday morning and obtained by the BBC's US partner CBS News.

“The NYPD deserves someone who can focus exclusively on protecting and serving New York City. That is why – for the good of this city and this department – I have made the difficult decision to resign as Chief of Police,” he wrote.

Mr. Caban has headed the NYPD since 2023 and was considered a close ally of Mayor Adams.

In his letter, he wrote that the raid on his home and the associated investigation had “created a distraction for our department.”

Other high-ranking New York officials appointed by the mayor – who is under investigation for corruption that appears to have nothing to do with this case – also had their homes searched last week.

They included First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III and Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools David C. Banks.

As part of their investigation, US prosecutors seized their phones as well as the phone of Mr Caban's twin brother.

There is no indication whether Mr. Caban or other city officials were involved in wrongdoing or are the subject of the investigation.

Since being sworn in on the first day of 2022, Adams and his colleagues have come under increasing federal scrutiny.

The FBI raided the home of his top fundraiser Brianna Suggs and other members of his campaign team last year, apparently investigating whether he had received illegal campaign contributions from the Turkish government and other foreign sources.

According to a source familiar with the matter, last week's searches appeared to have nothing to do with the investigation in Turkey.