New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban is resigning, multiple sources tell ABC News.
Caban’s resignation was announced by the city’s lawyer in a letter. The resignation takes effect Friday.
His resignation comes as a federal investigation into possible corruption in New York City government saw authorities last week seize cellphones belonging to Caban and other NYPD officials, according to people familiar with the investigation.
In an email to the NYPD obtained by ABC News, Caban did not directly address the investigation, saying only that he had made the “difficult decision to resign” amid “recent developments.”
“My entire focus has always been on the NYPD, the department and the people I love and have dedicated over 30 years of service to. However, the news of recent developments has created a distraction for our department, and I am unwilling to allow my attention to be diverted from our important work, or the safety of the men and women of the NYPD,” he said in the email. “I have tremendous respect and gratitude for the brave officers who serve this department, and the NYPD deserves someone who can focus solely on protecting and serving the City of New York, which is why, for the good of this city and this department, I have made the difficult decision to resign as Police Commissioner.”
Last week, federal agents also raided the homes of Deputy Mayor Phil Banks, Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Schools Chancellor David Banks, sources said. The FBI seized evidence, including electronic devices, as part of the searches, sources said. No charges have been filed against him.
Edward A. Caban, center, speaks after being sworn in as NYPD police commissioner in front of the New York City Police Department’s 40th Precinct, Monday, July 17, 2023, in New York City. Mayor Eric Adams is at right.
Jeenah Moon/AP, ARCHIVES
Manhattan federal prosecutors declined to release details of their investigation, but sources said one focus of the inquiry involved city contracts and a second focus involved enforcement of regulations governing bars and clubs.
Asked by a reporter at an unrelated news conference Monday whether Caban would resign because of the investigation, New York Mayor Eric Adams said “the rumors are still circulating.”
“I don’t think anything in life is guaranteed,” the mayor said. “I will say this: When I chose Eddie, I chose him for his experience and what he brought to the table after 30-some years of service.”
The mayor’s legal adviser said last week that investigators had not indicated to him that the mayor or his staff were the target of any investigation.
Adams also insisted last week that he was not aware of any “wrongdoing” by anyone in his administration and pledged to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
“I say this over and over again, as a former law enforcement officer, I’m very clear. We follow the rules. We make sure that we cooperate and provide any information that is necessary. It would just be inappropriate to interfere with the ongoing investigation,” Adams said in a Sept. 5 interview with CBS New York. “I’m not aware of any wrongdoing and I’m going to, again, follow the rules and continue to tell the team to do that. And that’s what they did, to my knowledge.”
Several high-ranking NYPD officials, including Caban, were served with subpoenas for their cellphones on Sept. 5, sources said. The next day, investigators searched the phones of other police officials, including precinct commanders in Manhattan, and interviewed police officials in a building next to police headquarters, sources said.
“The Department is aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York involving members of the armed forces. The Department is cooperating fully with the investigation,” an NYPD spokesperson said Sept. 5, referring additional questions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which declined to comment.
Caban’s family has ties to nightlife. Richard Caban, Edward Caban’s brother and a former NYPD lieutenant, owned a now-closed Bronx restaurant, Con Sofrito. Edward Caban’s twin brother, James Caban, a former NYPD sergeant, owned a Bronx apartment building that once housed a second-floor bar called Twins.
Police Commissioner Edward Caban speaks during Mayor Eric Adams’ press briefing on cannabis and public safety announcement in the Bronx borough of New York City on July 31, 2024.
Lev Radin/LightRocket via Getty Images
Caban began his career with the NYPD in 1991, as a police officer in the Bronx. He rose through the ranks, becoming the NYPD’s first deputy commissioner in 2022.
Adams appointed him commissioner in July 2023 after the resignation of Keechant Sewell, the city’s first female commissioner.
Following the announcement of the subpoena, City Councilman Robert Holden called on Caban to resign.
“I think he needs to do something because it casts a deep, bad shadow over the police department,” Holden said on CBS’s “The Point with Marcia Kramer” Sunday.
“We have to have confidence that he follows the law. He sets an example for the entire department,” Holden said.
