Toothless watchdog

To the editor:

Democracy is undermined when public officials are not held accountable. And in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams does not hold the police accountable. 

One example concerns the dubious cronies he has hired to help him run what he refers to as “my police.” Philip Banks III, the deputy mayor for public safety, was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a corruption investigation. Banks resigned from the department in 2014.  

Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey was accused of abusing his position by interfering in the arrest of an ex-cop. The mayor defended him. Maddrey has also been named a defendant in a sexual harassment lawsuit.  

Timothy Pearson, Adams’ senior adviser for public safety, has been accused of sexual harassment in four lawsuits. He has also been investigated for possible conflicts of interest, as well as for his role in a violent fight at a city migrant center. 

Adams said he doesn’t “get rid of a person” when “the pressure’s hot.”

The Adams administration has also worked to undermine the Civilian Complaint Review Board, the NYPD’s watchdog.  

Former Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell closed over 400 of the 754 cases sent to her by the CCRB. The Legal Aid Society said these rejections “threatened to create resentment among members of the community the NYPD serves.”

The press reported Adams forced Arva Rice, the board’s interim chair, to step down. Rice in April had criticized the police for delays in providing evidence in a fatal Bronx shooting. She also sought more investigative power, arguing that the CCRB should have final authority to discipline officers. 

Christopher Dunn of the NYCLU said that Ms. Rice’s “forced departure” was “yet another troubling step in the administration’s campaign to undermine police accountability.”

Howard Elterman