Keeping it in the family! NYC Mayor Eric Adams taps his BROTHER – a retired cop – as NYPD deputy commissioner who gets a $235,000-a-year salary
JAN 8, 2022 | REPUBLISHED BY LINY : JAN 8, 2022
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, 61, appointed his younger brother as a deputy NYPD commissioner
Bernard Adams, 56, was assigned to the office of the NYPD Police Commissioner
The post comes with a yearly salary of around $240,000
In his new role he will oversee governmental affairs
The younger Adams was previously the assistant director for parking at Virginia Commonwealth University where he had worked since 2011
Adams was an officer rising to the rank of Sergeant before retiring in 2006
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has been in the role for less than a week, has appointed his younger brother to serve as a deputy NYPD commissioner.
Bernard Adams, who is 56, is a retired cop, just like the 61-year-old mayor, and was a sergeant with the NYPD.
In his new role, he will oversee governmental affairs.
The appointment appears to have been swift: Bernard Adams is already listed as a deputy commissioner on the official NYPD roster.
Although the position is a civilian post, deputy police commissioners make about $240,000. It is not known what Adams’ salary will be.
Adams’ LinkedIn profile mentions his current job as the assistant director for parking at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he has worked since 2011.
Bernard Adams started his career in the 7th Precinct on the Lower East Side which was a rough, heroin-infested neighborhood at the time, before moving on to Brooklyn’s 88th Precinct,
Eventually, he was assigned to the NYPD’s Queens headquarters.
During his first taste of the job on the beat, he wanted to quit – but his brother persuaded him to stay.
‘I always, always, always wanted to be a cop, and that was my life’s dream,’ Bernard Adams recalled. ‘But then when I got the job, I was like, “I don’t want to do this.”’
On one of his first nights on patrol, brother Eric walked alongside to reassure him.
‘He said, “Listen, stay there. Don’t worry. Stay there. Don’t worry,'” Bernard Adams recounted. ‘So, I look up, 20 or 30 minutes later he comes walking up the street. And I’m like, “What are you doing here?” He said, “Listen, you can’t quit.” And he literally walked my beat with me.’
Bernard Adams retired with the rank of sergeant after 20 years of service in 2006. The mayor retired from the NYPD as a captain.
Friday’s appointment raised eyebrows over possible conflict of interest claims.
‘New Yorkers expect that public servants are hired based on their unique qualifications and not because they are the mayor’s brother,’ Common Cause New York’s Executive Director Susan Lerner said to the Daily News.
‘It is unclear whether a waiver from the Conflict of Interest Board would be required for this appointment. With or without a waiver, it is troubling.’
Bernard Adams is one of the few members who appeared with Eric on the campaign trail last year.
He also worked phone banks and handed out flyers for his brother’s campaign.
The pair appear to be close. He described his older brother as his role model when he introduced him during an election night party last November.
On Thursday, there was an internal shakeup of the NYPD executive staff. Internal Affairs boss Joseph Reznick and the head of the department’s employee relations, Robert Ganley, pictured, were forced out
‘We are twins separated at births — just kidding, don’t print that,’ Bernard Adams joked onstage. ‘I’m so happy to be here this evening with you all. On behalf of the family, thank you, thank you for your support.’
His appointment comes just after the mayor appointed longtime friend and confidant Philip Banks as deputy mayor of public safety.
Banks’ brother, David, had previously been tapped to be the new New York City schools chancellor.
On Thursday, there had been an internal shakeup of the NYPD executive staff.
Internal Affairs boss Joseph Reznick and the head of the department’s employee relations, Robert Ganley were forced out.
The pair were both working their taxpayer-funded job while still being able to collect a substantial pension.
Michael Bloomberg brought his daughter Emma, left, and sister, Marjorie Tiven, right, into his administration, although they did not take a salary or were bestowed any prestigious titles
Bill de Blasio’s wife Chirlane McCray was the city’s First Lady and headed a failed $1.3 billion mental health initiative ThriveNYC. City nepotism rules meant she was unable to draw a salary
Previous New York City mayors have been known to hire their family members.
Michael Bloomberg brought his daughter Emma and sister, Marjorie Tiven, into the administration, although they did not take a salary or bestowed any titles.
Bill de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, headed the failed $1.3 billion mental health initiative ThriveNYC.
City nepotism rules meant she was unable to draw a salary.
It’s unclear if those rules would also bar Eric Adams’ brother from pulling in a salary.
Adams will be working alongside the city’s first ever female Police Commissioner.
Adams will be working alongside the city’s first ever female Police Commissioner, Keechant Sewell
Keechant Sewell was introduced as Eric Adams’ choice last month. He said the longtime Long Island police official was ‘calm, collected, confident’ and had the ’emotional intelligence needed to lead at this challenging and hopeful time in our city.’
‘I think leadership prepares you to be able to tackle anything that comes your way,’ Sewell said in an interview. ‘I look forward to what I can learn from the NYPD and being able to bring what I already have to the table.’
Sewell spent her entire policing career in suburban Nassau County before becoming the NYPD´s first outside leader in more than two decades. She is also the third Black person to lead the department. Sewell said she brings ‘a fresh perspective’ to the job while also acknowledging the department’s ‘incredible sense of tradition.’
Sewell said she spent the weeks leading up to her swearing-in speaking with everyone from street level officers to former top brass. She also named two NYPD veterans as her top deputies: Edward Caban, the new first deputy commissioner and Kenneth Corey, the new chief of department.
Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell talks to reporters at police headquarters in New York. Sewell spent her entire policing career in suburban Long Island before recently becoming New York City’s first police commissioner from outside the department in over two decades +8
Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell talks to reporters at police headquarters in New York. Sewell spent her entire policing career in suburban Long Island before recently becoming New York City’s first police commissioner from outside the department in over two decades
Earlier this week, Sewell spoke about her priorities and the challenges of policing a city of 8.8 million people.
‘First and foremost, I want the city to be safer,’ Sewell said. ‘I want there to be a better quality of life. I want the police department to collaborate with the community, because they’re part of the community.’
Sewell started with the Nassau County Police Department as a patrol officer in 1997, then became a precinct commander, head of major cases, a top hostage negotiator and finally chief of detectives, where she oversaw a staff of about 350 – about 1% the size of the NYPD’s unformed ranks.
Adams promised during his campaign to hire a female commissioner, and in hiring Sewell vaulted her to the top of a list of notable women in policing that includes Philadelphia Commissioner Danielle Outlaw and former Seattle Chief Carmen Best. He said Sewell “carried with her throughout her career a sledgehammer, and she crushed every glass ceiling that was put in her way.”
Like the men who came before her, Sewell’s success will be measured largely in crime statistics and whether she’s able to rein in a pandemic-era increase in gun violence and homicides.
After reaching a low of 292 homicides in 2017, the city hit 468 in 2020 and more than 480 last year, the highest number since 2011.
Sewell this week endorsed Adams´ plan to reinstate a plainclothes anti-crime unit that was disbanded amid police misconduct protests in 2020 over concerns that it accounted for a disproportionate number of shootings and complaints. Sewell said this time around the unit will be more responsible and better behaved – an assurance critics view skeptically.
Also this past week, Manhattan’s new district attorney unveiled a sweeping new policy to only seek prison sentences for a handful of offenses, and downgrade or dismiss charges for many felony crimes – and Mayor Eric Adams is on board with the plan.
Alvin Bragg, who took office last weekend, revealed his progressive new approach in a ‘day one policies and procedures’ memo released on Monday.
The Democrat said offenses like marijuana misdemeanors, prostitution, resisting arrest and fare dodging will no longer be prosecuted.
Bragg instructed prosecutors to stop seek prison sentences for crimes except for homicides, assaults resulting in serious injury, domestic violence felonies, sex offenses, public corruption, and ‘major economic crimes’.
The directive comes despite New York City seeing a surge in violent crime. City-wide, crime statistics published in December by the NYPD show that shootings, murders and auto grand larceny have all nearly doubled while murder is up 50 percent in the city compared to 2019.
Aside from the same list of offenses, Bragg’s prosecutors have also been told not to seek bail requirements for suspects awaiting trial.
The memo also outlines a number of circumstances in which charges should be downgraded, including certain cases of armed robbery and drug dealing.
Bragg also vowed to stop prosecuting many low-level offenses including subway turnstile jumping, prostitution, and trespassing. He will continue his predecessor Cyrus Vance Jr’s policy of declining to prosecute marijuana possession.
Mayor Eric Adams expressed support for Bragg’s new polices at a Tuesday press conference, saying: ‘I like Alvin.’
‘I believe that he’s going to be a good district attorney, and I’m going to sit down and have a conversation with him as we build out what we need to do around public safety,’ the mayor said.
‘I think he’s on Team Public Safety,’ added Adams. ‘Team Public Safety is not only handcuffs, Team Public Safety is also ending the pipeline that turns people into career criminals.’