The NYPD's combative culture comes under scrutiny as a federal investigation looms

WNYC News

After federal agents last week seized the cell phones of NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, his chief of staff, three other police officials and his brother, attention has turned to a police department that former law enforcement officials say has become increasingly combative and erratic.

The shift happened under Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain who ran for mayor promising to fight crime without infringing on civil rights. Since he took office, the department has been criticized for aggressive policing, arresting tens of thousands of people for low-level crimes and pushing back on the city’s police oversight agency.

Now, as a federal investigation zeroes in on Adams' inner circle and the police department, some lawmakers, activists and former police officials say Adams has promoted a culture where top brass gets special treatment, lash out against critics and shield themselves from discipline.

“The police department has never been good on transparency and accountability,” said Chris Dunn, legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “But this department has taken it to a new low.”

The NYPD did not respond to questions about claims that its leaders are dodging accountability. The city’s police unions declined to comment for this story.

City Hall did not respond to questions about leadership and accountability but instead pointed to a drop in crime during Adams’ tenure over the NYPD.