New York City police chief resigns amid federal investigation

New York City’s police chief resigned Thursday, a week after his cellphone was reportedly seized as part of a federal investigation that has targeted close associates of Mayor Eric Adams.

The official, Edward Caban, said he made the decision because “news about recent events” had “created a distraction for our department,” according to an email to the police department obtained by The Associated Press.

“I am not willing to let my focus be on anything other than our important work, or the safety of the men and women of the New York Police Department,” he added.

At a news conference Thursday, Adams said he had named Tom Donlon, a retired FBI official, as acting chief of police. Donlon previously served as head of the FBI’s National Threat Center and was head of the Homeland Security office in New York before founding his own security company in 2020.

“I thank Commissioner Donlon for stepping forward at this critical time,” Adams said.

Caban was one of several high-level city officials whose electronic devices were seized last week by federal investigators, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.

The subject of the investigation, which was launched by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan, is unclear. It is not immediately clear whether federal authorities are seeking information related to one investigation or several.

Federal authorities are also investigating Caban’s twin brother, James Caban, who runs a nightclub security company, according to a person familiar with the case. The person could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Edward Caban, 57, was in charge of the largest police department in the United States for nearly 15 months. Of Puerto Rican descentwas the first Latino to lead the New York Police Department in its 179-year history.

Adams declined Tuesday to say whether he still had confidence in Caban, saying instead that “I have the utmost confidence in the New York City Police Department.”

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