NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban’s resignation on Thursday raised fresh questions about Mayor Eric Adams’ ability to manage a growing crisis of confidence in his administration and why other top officials implicated in investigations have not been pressured to resign.
The announced departure of the city’s first Latino police commissioner came less than a week after reports surfaced that a cascade of top officials, including Caban, had phones seized by federal investigators. The mayor initially said Caban could still do his job, but during a Tuesday press conference, he notably stopped short of expressing confidence in the embattled commissioner.
Caban has not been accused of wrongdoing, but some have argued that the shadow of a criminal investigation made it impossible for him to lead the country’s largest police force effectively. The mayor, who hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing either, has been facing similar skepticism.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said the multiple investigations had resulted in “chaos” within the mayor’s office.
“I think that because of the magnitude of the situation and the number of investigations going on right now, within the administration, the distractions are still going to be there,” she said.
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In addition to Caban, federal agents also served search warrants to first deputy mayor, Sheena Wright, her partner Schools Chancellor David Banks and first deputy mayor of public safety, Phil Banks.
“This resignation is a correct decision, from an array of options at a moment I wish we weren’t in – one when New Yorkers have little trust in the administration, and little information from the mayor to help restore it,” said Jumaane Williams, the city’s public advocate who has become increasingly critical of the mayor, in a statement.
He added that the mayor “still urgently needs to provide real transparency into this moment of confusion for city leadership.”
City Comptroller Brad Lander, a fellow Democrat who is running to unseat Adams, called Caban’s resignation “appropriate.”
“But unless this is accompanied by a series of real management reforms and public integrity safeguards — at NYPD and at City Hall — one personnel change alone will not solve the ongoing concerns of New Yorkers,” he added.
Some critics of the mayor took a harsher stance.
“We don’t just need a new commissioner. We need a new mayor. We need new priorities,” said Queens Councilmember Tiffany Cabán in a statement.
Cabán, who has been critical of the NYPD’s use of aggressive tactics, accused the mayor of “emboldening an increasingly rogue, unaccountable, militarized police force.”
Following news of Caban’s resignation, Adams delivered a 4-minute address to New Yorkers but took no questions from reporters.
The mayor will likely face questions in the coming days about whether other high-ranking aides involved in the investigations should leave their jobs.
Councilmember Lincoln Restler said on X that other senior officials “caught up in these investigations who are responsible for public safety should also resign, including Deputy Mayor Phil Banks.”
Among those under scrutiny are Timothy Pearson, a senior adviser for public safety who has been at the center of several controversies. These include a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuits from four former and current NYPD officers, in which the city has hired an outside lawyer to handle his legal defense.
The focus on Caban has particularly disturbed some Latino elected officials.
“The idea that we were focusing primarily on just the commissioner seemed alarming to me,” said Diana Ayala, a City Council member who represents East Harlem and parts of the Bronx, during an interview on WNYC. “It felt like a tactic to not necessarily hold the others to the same level of scrutiny.”
State Sen. Jessica Ramos, a frequent critic of Adams who announced her run for mayor on Friday morning, said she was concerned that “one of the top ranking Latinos seems to be the only one getting the pressure to remove himself from a seat of power.”
She added, “How many strikes does Mr. Pearson need before he gets pressure to resign?”
Michelle Bocanegra contributed reporting.