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New York City’s Police Commissioner Edward Caban continues to insist he did absolutely nothing wrong but he’s resigning anyway. The FBI has been crawling up the backside of everyone in City Hall with a microscope. He may not be happy about the decision but it’s the best way he can think of to keep police services flowing smoothly.
Caban and his brother
The Caban family may be Puerto Ricans but they’re true “blue-bloods.” Twin brothers Edward and James followed their father Juan onto the force. Several members of Eric Adams’ administration are under simultaneous probe.
Adams isn’t. At least, not yet. The former police commissioner sent a letter formally announcing his resignation.
He doesn’t care who investigates him. “My complete focus has always been on the NYPD,” Caban wrote. “The department and people I love and have dedicated over 30 years of service to.”
“However, the news around recent developments has created a distraction for our department, and I am unwilling to let my attention be on anything other than our important work, or the safety of the men and women of the NYPD.”
The FBI dropped by last week to seize his phone and other devices. They took the phones of other senior police leaders while they were at it. On Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams “paid tribute to the tenure of Caban as New York City police commissioner.”
He agrees with the decision, calling it the best “at this time.” The two go way back together. Tom Donlon will be tapped as interim commissioner.
Decrease crime
Donlon is a good fit to replace Caban. The former FBI agent and director of New York’s Homeland Security. He knows what to do.
“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.” Crime has been coming back under control again in the past year, slowly.
Caban’s attorney said he “unequivocally denies any wrongdoing” and has fully cooperated with investigators. Caban “was named commissioner of the NYPD just a little more than a year ago” and seems to have been doing a good job.
His brother is the one who may have jammed him up. James “is accused of trying to leverage their relationship in order to get work providing security to nightclubs.”
James Caban “runs a nightclub security business, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.”
Along with the Caban brothers, the feds are probing First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. Deputy mayor for public safety Philip Banks and his brother David, who serves as City School Chancellor, are on the list. Also under investigation is “Timothy Pearson, a mayoral adviser and former high-ranking NYPD official.“
