The New York City Police Department has confirmed a significant shake-up in leadership following the abrupt resignation of its highest-ranking uniformed officer on Friday night. Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey stepped down amid allegations that he requested favors from a subordinate. Maddrey’s position will be taken over by Chief of Patrol John Chell, according to an official statement from NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

In her statement, Tisch did not directly reference Maddrey. A spokesperson for the department declined to provide any additional details about the accusations against him, only stating that the NYPD “takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and will thoroughly investigate this matter.”

Lieutenant Quathisha Epps, who serves in an administrative role within Maddrey’s office, told The New York Post that Maddrey repeatedly asked her for personal favors after being promoted to Chief of Department. Epps also revealed that her attorney intends to file a notice of claim with the city comptroller’s office, formally presenting the allegations.

Epps’ claims of misconduct against Maddrey follow reports that she was suspended earlier this week as part of an internal affairs investigation into potential overtime abuses. It is said that this abuse allowed her to earn more than $400,000 last year. Maddrey’s attorney, Lambros Lambrou, told NBC New York that his client “denies the allegations of any [such] interaction,” and emphasized that there was “no [such] interaction in exchange for overtime.”

Lambrou added that Maddrey had been planning to retire soon, having recently become a lawyer, and chose to step down earlier than expected due to the misconduct allegations. According to his lawyer, Maddrey intends to pursue private practice.

Both the Department of Justice and the Southern District of New York are now investigating the allegations regarding Epps’ substantial overtime payments and her claims of harassment, a source familiar with the case informed NBC New York. Both the DOI and SDNY spokespeople declined to comment. Maddrey’s lawyer indicated that he was unaware of any ongoing investigation.

A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed that their office is also looking into the allegations of misconduct related to Maddrey. “These are extremely serious and disturbing claims that allegedly occurred at N.Y.P.D. headquarters in Manhattan. We are investigating,” the spokesperson stated to NBC New York.

Mayor Eric Adams expressed concern over the allegations against Maddrey, calling them “extremely concerning and alarming.” He added, “The police commissioner is doing a full review of all personnel, but she’s also doing a full review of this issue.” Adams voiced his confidence in Commissioner Tisch, saying, “I have a great deal of faith and the city has a great deal of faith in Police Commissioner Tisch, she’s conducting her review internally, and we’ll make the determination on how we’re moving forward with these allegations.”

Maddrey served as Chief of Department for two years, working under four different police commissioners during his tenure. He was appointed to the position in December 2022 by former Commissioner Keechant Sewell, who was succeeded by Eddie Caban, Tom Donlon, and Tisch, who has held the position for less than a month.

Maddrey joined the NYPD in 1991 at the age of 20 and climbed the ranks, eventually becoming Chief of Housing in 2021, then Chief of Patrol later that year, before being appointed to Chief of Department. Earlier this year, an administrative trial judge recommended that a disciplinary case against Maddrey be dismissed. This case involved an incident in November 2021 when Maddrey allegedly ordered officers to void the arrest of a retired officer who had previously worked for him. The judge determined that the Civilian Complaint Review Board lacked jurisdiction to pursue the case.

Commissioner Tisch announced that Chief of Transportation Philip Rivera will assume the role of Chief of Patrol. “The NYPD works tirelessly to protect New Yorkers, and these roles are critical to keeping our communities safe,” Tisch said in her statement. “The interim Chiefs of Department and Patrol will continue to lead the efforts to reduce crime and disorder and build public trust.”

As per the NYPD, the Chief of Department is responsible for overseeing the department’s crime-fighting strategies, quality of life initiatives, and operational plans.

{Matzav.com}