Councilman raises concerns about police loans to City Hall and agencies overseen by Mayor Adams.

City Council member Robert Holden has raised significant concerns regarding the Adams administration’s practice of assigning active-duty police officers to civilian roles within City Hall and other city agencies. In a letter addressed to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Holden initiated an inquiry that reflects a growing debate about the oversight, transparency, and fiscal implications of such assignments.

Holden’s inquiry was prompted by a recent report highlighting the retirement of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry from the New York Police Department (NYPD) while simultaneously holding a position in the civilian sphere. Notably, Daughtry’s service as a deputy commissioner and his subsequent role in City Hall have been perceived as a strategic accumulation of time toward the 20 years necessary for full pension benefits. Daughtry joined the NYPD on January 9, 2006, and is set to retire on January 8, 2026, precisely meeting the two-decade requirement.

The councilman, whose tenure is concluding, emphasized that his inquiry was part of a broader fact-finding mission aimed at understanding the structure and oversight of police assignments to civilian duties. Notably, he questioned the mechanisms in place to ensure that these appointments are managed effectively and that they do not provide any individuals with an avenue to evade police accountability while still receiving the benefits accorded to uniformed officers.

Holden’s correspondence also addressed concerns regarding how pension calculations are processed for uniformed members who transition into long-term civilian roles. This includes questions surrounding policies related to determining final average salaries, overtime earnings, and service credit accrual. Such inquiries are crucial, given the potential implications for public trust and the management of taxpayer funds.

Additionally, Holden mentioned other city officials with similar backgrounds, such as Probation Commissioner Juanita Holmes, who was also linked to the NYPD. Holmes had previously retired from the department in 2018 but returned to oversee the Police Academy and later took on her current role in probation.

Amid declining uniformed staffing levels and increasing concerns over forced overtime among officers, the implications of assigning officers to civilian roles have broader ramifications for city governance and operational effectiveness. Holden has urged the Commissioner to provide a detailed account of the number of officers currently detailed in non-operational roles, including their respective salaries and the disciplinary protocols applicable to them.

As the City Council continues to evaluate these arrangements, Holden, as a steward of taxpayer resources, aims to gain clarity on the management and accountability structures surrounding these assignments. The outcome of this inquiry may set important precedents for the relationship between law enforcement and local governance in New York City.