NYPD commissioner changing command as Donlon replaces Caban

NEW YORK — The NYPD commissioner changed command Friday, as Edward Caban’s resignation officially took effect at 5 p.m. and Tom Donlon takes over as the interim leader of the department.
An informal swearing-in ceremony was held, with a larger event planned at a later date. Moments after Donlon was sworn in, he sat with NYPD chiefs and executives and the Intelligence and Counterterrorism Team updated him on the threat assessment for New York City.
Donlon is the New York City’s third police commissioner in less than three years. He previously served as the city’s director of the Office of Homeland Security and ran the FBI’s National Threat Center and the FBI and NYPD’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. He also helped lead the investigation of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
“Tom is an experienced law enforcement professional who has worked at the local, state, federal and international levels,” Mayor Eric Adams said at Thursday’s announcement.
“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,” Donlon said in a statement.
The NYPD says Donlon’s focus will be on improving community engagement and enhancing public safety.
Donlon’s extensive counterterror experience will be crucial as the city hosts a number of high-profile events, including New York Fashion Week, the United Nations General Assembly, and one year after the Oct. 7 attack.
“What has to happen now is the interim police commissioner will come in, he will get briefed by people who know the department very well,” former NYPD deputy commissioner and CBS News New York law enforcement contributor Richard Esposito explained Thursday. “He will then decide what changes to make to ensure continuity of senior management and how to make sure senior management is in sync with crime control, with the detective bureau.”
Donlon is being called the interim police commissioner because things happened so fast that the mayor didn’t have time to do a national search for a new top cop. Sources say he may get the job permanently, but he was picked because he has impeccable law enforcement credentials and because the mayor knew him when Donlon was the state director of Homeland Security and Adams was a state senator.
Caban sent a letter to members of the department Thursday announcing his resignation. He said he was stepping down to avoid being a distraction after he was among those raided by federal authorities last week. 
“I hold immense respect and gratitude for the brave officers who serve this department, and 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,” Caban wrote. 
The 57-year-old commissioner faced mounting calls to step down after federal agents raided seized his cellphone, along with phones belonging to his twin brother, James, and several other police officials. 
CBS News New York has learned the feds are investigating possible corruption in the city’s nightclub enforcement involving James Caban, who owns a nightclub security business. Sources said he allegedly worked as a fixer to smooth over noise complaints and other violations. 
As for Edward Caban, his lawyer said in a statement he is not a target of any investigation and he expects to fully cooperate.
Meanwhile, several other members of the mayor’s inner circle also had their homes raided, as federal authorities continue to investigate his administration. Schools Chancellor David Banks is among them and spoke about the investigation Friday morning, saying he will fully cooperate.
On CBS News New York’s political talk show “The Point,” Banks said he has done nothing wrong and is cooperating with the investigation.
“If a student or a teacher were to come up to you and ask you what’s going on, what would your answer be to them?” CBS News New York political reporter Marcia Kramer asked.
“I think what I would say to them is that in life you may have challenges, but always hold your head high, live your life, and walk with integrity. I’ve always done that and I would encourage all of our kids, all of our teachers and anyone else to do then same,” Banks said.
Kramer reports Ray Martin, a community affairs aide in the mayor’s office, has been fired after he reportedly helped connect a Brooklyn bar owner who had trouble with police with James Caban.
Martin previously worked in the mayor’s entertainment and nightlife unit.
City Hall sources say Martin was fired after the bar owner claimed Martin suggested he call James Caban if he needed help in stopping police from enforcing noise complaints. The owner claimed James Caban wanted a $2,500 pay upfront.
“We investigated the complaints and fired him the same day,” said a spokesman for the mayor.
But James Caban’s lawyers insist their client has done nothing wrong.
“Mr. Caban unequivocally denies any wrongdoing. His work – as a consultant and acting as a liaison between the department and a private company – is perfectly legal, especially given his previous career as a NYPD officer,” the lawyers said.

Alecia Reid

contributed to this report.