Thomas G. Donlon, the interim successor to Edward A. Caban, who resigned amidst controversy, stated that authorities had confiscated items not related to the Police Department.
New York City’s newly appointed interim police commissioner, Thomas G. Donlon, disclosed that federal agents had conducted searches at his residences and confiscated materials the previous day. The search warrants were unrelated to his role within the Police Department, which has been entangled in various federal investigations surrounding the mayor’s administration.
Donlon clarified that the materials seized were acquired approximately 20 years ago and had no connection to his current position in the Police Department. The search was not related to departmental affairs, and therefore, the department refrained from commenting further on the matter. Specific details regarding the seized materials, the number and location of the searched homes, and the agency responsible for the searches were not disclosed.
His predecessor, Edward A. Caban, stepped down after federal agents seized his phone on September 4. The Police Department has been under scrutiny as part of multiple federal inquiries affecting Mayor Eric Adams’s administration. These investigations have targeted senior officials, including Caban, raising concerns about his ability to oversee a force of over 30,000 officers. Caban resigned on September 12, citing the investigation as a distraction, with reports indicating that the administration had requested his resignation.
Donlon, a native of the Bronx, boasts a comprehensive background in federal law enforcement, having served with the F.B.I. in various capacities, including counterterrorism roles both domestically and internationally, as well as providing security for Wall Street institutions. He most recently founded and operated a private security and consulting firm, Global Security Resolutions, in 2020. The circumstances under which the materials sought by the agents came into his possession remain unclear.
Between 2002 and 2003, Donlon led the F.B.I.’s New York Counterterrorism Center and subsequently worked at the agency’s National Threat Center until 2005. These details were disclosed during his nomination review by a New York State Senate committee, which was chaired by Adams when he was a state senator. Following his tenure with the F.B.I., Donlon joined Credit Suisse in 2005.
Upon announcing Donlon’s appointment as interim commissioner, Adams praised him as a seasoned law enforcement professional with extensive experience at local, state, federal, and international levels. Donlon, in turn, pledged to uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency in his new role.
Source: The NY Times
