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Edward Caban
Edward Caban
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Edward A. Caban (born September 8, 1967) is an American police officer who served as the New York City Police Commissioner from 2023 to 2024, having been appointed by Mayor Eric Adams, and resigning amidst federal corruption investigations into the Eric Adams administration.[1][2] He was the first Latino to serve as Commissioner of the NYPD.[3]

Key Information

During his brief tenure as commissioner, Caban watered down the NYPD's misconduct rules for officers, reducing penalties for officers who commit various offenses. He also vetoed more disciplinary penalties in plea deals between the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board and police officers accused of misconduct than all New York City commissioners had in the previous 10 years combined.[4][5]

Caban previously served as First Deputy Police Commissioner under Keechant Sewell.[6][7]

Early life

[edit]

Caban was born and raised in the Bronx to a family of Puerto Rican descent. He graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1985.[8] In 1989, he graduated with a BS in Criminal Justice from St. John's University. In 1991, he joined the NYPD.[3] Three years later, he was made Sergeant,[9] then Inspector. Most recently, he was the adjutant in Brooklyn North patrol.[9] His father, Juan, was a New York City Transit Police Detective who also served as the President of the Transit Police Hispanic Society.[10] His twin, James Caban also served in the NYPD.[11]

Career

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During his 30 years at the NYPD, Caban was found by the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board to have engaged in misconduct twice. In one of the cases, he arrested a civilian for not providing identification and was ordered to complete more training. In the second case, he refused to provide names of officers to a civilian when she claimed they had mistreated her; as a result, an admonition was added to his personnel file.[12] In 2010, he was disciplined for "unauthorized personal use of a department vehicle" and for "transporting an unauthorized person in that vehicle." He was docked 20 vacation days and paid $428 in restitution.[13]

New York City Police Commissioner

[edit]

On June 12, 2023, it was announced that Caban would fill in as acting NYPD commissioner after Keechant Sewell departed.[14] On July 17, he was formally appointed as NYPD commissioner.[15]

Overseeing discipline for officers

[edit]

In his nine months in office, Caban eliminated more disciplinary penalties in plea deals between the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board and police officers accused of misconduct than all New York City commissioners had in the previous 10 years combined.[4]

In June 2024, ProPublica revealed that, during his first year in office, Caban had used his authority of retention to "retain," or prevent from going to trial, the disciplinary cases of 54 officers before the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, including exercising this authority in more than 30 cases where department lawyers and the officers involved had already agreed to disciplinary action.[16]

In September 2024, Caban reduced the suggested punishments for officer misconduct in the NYPD's disciplinary guidelines. In some of these cases, the suggested punishment went from the "loss of five vacation days or a five-day suspension to merely 'additional training.'"[17] The New York Civil Liberties Union claims that this reduction in suggested punishments for misconduct is "reinforcing the NYPD’s culture of impunity."[17]

That same month, Caban signed off on the proposed discipline for an NYPD officer Brendan Sullivan who had "engaged in sexual misconduct," "abused his authority," and was "untruthful with investigators." The officer had left a series of harassing messages on a civilian's phone in retaliation for that civilian reporting police to New York City's 311 compliant line. Caban approved of a small fine and the loss of 60 days of leave for the officer.[18]

Federal corruption investigation

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In September 2024, the FBI raided Caban's home and seized his electronic devices in a federal corruption investigation.[19][20][21] Caban's twin brother James also had his phone seized.[22][20] The investigation into James Caban is focused on his involvement in the nightclub industry and potential monetary benefit he received from his brother's position at the NYPD.[19][22][23] James Caban was fired from the NYPD in 2001 after wrongfully detaining and threatening a suspect.[24][25][26]

After the raids, several area bars have claimed that Caban's twin brother told them he could resolve "problems with NYPD" over noise complaints if they paid him a $2,500 fee.[27][28]

New York City Council members Robert Holden, Lincoln Restler, and Tiffany Cabán, as well as the New York Post editorial board, called for Caban to step down as NYPD Commissioner.[29][30][31]

A week after the raids, Caban resigned, in the midst of the investigations into the Eric Adams administration, stating, "for the good of this city and this department—I have made the difficult decision to resign as Police Commissioner."[32][33] Caban's lawyer issued a statement that claimed, "he is not a target of the investigation according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan."[23] Former New York Homeland Security Director Tom Donlon was named as Caban's interim replacement.[34]

Personal life

[edit]

In September 2023, Caban, along with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, became a Prince Hall Freemason[35][36] as well as a 32nd Degree Member of the Scottish Rite.[37]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia

Edward A. Caban (born September 8, 1967) is an American law enforcement executive who served as the 47th Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) from July 2023 to September 2024, becoming the first person of Puerto Rican descent to hold the position.
Caban joined the NYPD in 1991 as a in the [South Bronx](/page/South Bronx) and advanced through the ranks over more than three decades, including promotions to in 1994 and in 2015, before serving as Chief of Department and prior to his appointment as by . His tenure focused on operational of the largest police department in the United States, but was marked by efforts to address crime trends amid broader scrutiny of the Adams administration. Caban resigned on , , following the seizure of his phone by federal investigators probing alleged involving NYPD interactions with nightclubs, particularly claims that his brother exploited departmental connections for personal gain in exchange for favors such as reduced . No charges have been filed against Caban himself, and he stated his departure was to avoid distracting from the NYPD's mission, though the contributed to ongoing federal examinations of figures.

Early life and family background

Childhood in the Bronx

Edward Caban was born on September 8, 1967, and raised in the Parkchester neighborhood of , a densely populated area home to many Puerto Rican families. As a third-generation New Yorican with ancestral roots in , his upbringing immersed him in the cultural dynamics of New York City's Puerto Rican diaspora. Caban attended Cardinal Hayes High School in , graduating in 1985. during this period faced severe and elevated rates, with the borough recording over 1,600 homicides citywide in 1990 amid widespread gang activity and drug trade proliferation, conditions that permeated daily life even in relatively stable enclaves like Parkchester. This environment, contrasted with his father's emphasis on discipline through a career in transit policing, cultivated Caban's early recognition of the need for robust public safety measures in high-risk urban settings. Caban has reflected on his Bronx origins as foundational to his street-level understanding of policing challenges, describing himself as a "young Puerto Rican kid from Parkchester" whose experiences informed a grounded approach to law enforcement realities.

Family ties to law enforcement

Edward Caban's father, Juan Caban, retired as a first-grade with the , an agency that merged into the New York Police Department (NYPD) in 1995, providing the family with direct ties to municipal structures. This background exposed Caban from an early age to the practical realities of investigative work and departmental protocols, shaping his career trajectory toward the NYPD, where he joined in the early 1990s. Caban's identical twin brother, James Caban, also a policing , enlisting in the NYPD on February 1, 1989, and advancing to the rank of during his tenure, which overlapped with Edward's years of service. These roles within the force reinforced familial immersion in NYPD culture, offering informal mentorship on tactics, , and to institutional norms that external recruits might lack. Juan Caban raised five sons, with at least two—Edward and James—entering , illustrating a of hereditary commitment that empirically supports higher departmental retention through shared values and pre-existing familiarity with the profession's demands, as opposed to unsubstantiated claims of insular . Such intergenerational facilitates rapid acclimation and sustained service, evidenced by Caban's own 32-year NYPD tenure culminating in his appointment as commissioner on July 18, 2023.

NYPD career prior to commissioner

Entry and early assignments

Edward Caban entered the New York Police Department (NYPD) in as a assigned to the 40th Precinct in the South Bronx's Mott Haven neighborhood. This assignment occurred during a peak period for violent crime in New York City, with the metropolis recording 2,245 homicides in 1990 and between 2,180 and 2,225 in 1991. The 40th Precinct itself reported 72 murders in 1990 amid widespread drug trafficking, gang activity, and poverty-driven disorder that characterized South Bronx policing in the era. Caban's initial role entailed routine foot and vehicle patrols, responding to calls involving assaults, , and narcotics enforcement in a precinct where indices far exceeded averages, such as rates over 2,400 incidents annually in the early . These ground-level encounters provided direct observation of recurring patterns in urban violence, including retaliatory disputes and open-air markets that strained resources and necessitated proactive stop-and-frisk tactics to disrupt cycles of escalation. Such experiences underscored the causal links between unchecked street-level disorder and broader spikes, shaping an operational emphasis on immediate deterrence over deferred interventions.

Promotions and leadership roles

Caban advanced to the rank of in 2015, a position that positioned him in operational roles leveraging his prior in , work, and command assignments. This promotion marked a key step in his progression through the NYPD's command structure, following earlier elevations to in 2005 and deputy in 2008. In 2022, Caban was appointed first under Commissioner , becoming the highest-ranking in the department's at that time. In this , he managed a wide array of departmental functions, including policy development, personnel oversight, and strategic implementation to support organizational transitions. The appointment underscored his preparation for executive responsibilities through administrative expertise accumulated over three decades of service.

Tenure as NYPD Police Commissioner

Appointment and initial priorities

On July 17, 2023, Mayor appointed Edward Caban as the 46th Commissioner of the (NYPD), following the resignation of on , 2023. Caban, who had assumed the role of acting commissioner on , 2023, was sworn in during a ceremony at NYPD headquarters, becoming the first Latino to lead the department in its 178-year history. Adams selected Caban, a 32-year NYPD with across numerous ranks from to first , emphasizing his internal expertise and deep understanding of department operations over external candidates. This appointment represented a shift back to promoting from within, contrasting with Sewell's selection from outside the NYPD, and was intended to leverage Caban's proven leadership in prior roles to address ongoing challenges. Caban's early directives focused on restoring officer morale strained by the post-2020 "defund the police" movements and progressive reforms that had limited enforcement capabilities, prioritizing support for rank-and-file officers alongside efforts to enhance operational efficiency and community safety. He pledged to build on recent progress in crime reduction while fostering stronger department cohesion and quality-of-life improvements.

Crime reduction achievements

During Edward Caban's tenure as NYPD Commissioner from July 2023 to September , New York City recorded declines in key violent crime metrics, reversing trends from the early 2020s spike following reduced proactive amid post-2020 policing reforms. fell 11.9% in 2023 compared to , dropping from 438 to 386 incidents, while shooting incidents and victims reached a five-year low by mid-. Overall index crime continued downward, with a 5% reduction in March versus March 2023 and a 4.9% drop in April compared to the prior year, including nearly 500 fewer major crimes citywide that month. These improvements aligned with targeted enforcement initiatives, such as the Prevention and Auto Crime Suppression Plan, which facilitated the seizure of nearly 3,700 illegal guns in 2024 alone—part of over 17,000 recovered since the start of the Adams mayoral administration. efforts, including specialized addressing "ghost guns," stolen vehicles, and illegal scooters/ATVs/mopeds, contributed to broader reductions in , grand larceny, and auto theft, with major crime decreasing across patrol precincts, , and the transit system—where felonies fell 11% below pre-COVID levels. Major felony arrests hit a 26-year high, reflecting intensified street-level interventions that NYPD officials credited for curbing after earlier years' rises under constrained policing.

Officer discipline and retention policies

During his tenure as NYPD , Edward Caban extensively utilized the department's "retention" authority to intervene in disciplinary proceedings, overturning or reducing punishments for officers accused of , including cases where agreed-upon penalties had already been negotiated. In his first year, Caban retained 54 such cases, blocking them from advancing to internal trial—a figure far exceeding the eight cases retained by his predecessor, . In approximately 40% of these retained instances, Caban imposed no whatsoever, while penalties were applied in others, often involving substantiated allegations of or . This policy shift was framed by NYPD leadership as a necessary response to acute staffing shortages, with the department having lost more than 14,000 officers through retirements and resignations since early 2020 amid heightened scrutiny, vaccine mandates, and recruitment challenges. Police union representatives noted that the uptick in retentions aligned with a parallel rise in substantiated misconduct complaints from the Civilian Complaint Review Board, suggesting a calibrated effort to preserve institutional knowledge and experience rather than blanket favoritism. Over his 14-month term, Caban's interventions reached at least 82 cases, prioritizing operational continuity in a force strained by an effective shortfall of thousands of personnel. Critics, particularly in investigative reporting from outlets like ProPublica and THE CITY, contended that these actions effectively "buried" serious allegations, including those of excessive force and dishonesty, thereby eroding public trust and accountability mechanisms established post high-profile police controversies. On September 9, 2024—just days before his resignation—Caban approved revisions to the NYPD's Disciplinary System Penalty Guidelines, or "matrix," which lowered recommended penalties for infractions such as abusing authority, using offensive language, and failing to document civilian complaints; these changes were justified internally as reflecting updated analyses of case patterns and trends to better align with retention goals. While proponents viewed the adjustments as pragmatic adaptations to empirical pressures on force retention, detractors highlighted them as further softening standards in an era demanding stricter oversight.

Federal investigation and resignation

Probe origins and key allegations

The federal into Edward Caban originated from investigations by the U.S. Attorney's for the Southern of New York into potential favoritism in NYPD arrangements for nightclubs, particularly those linked to individuals seeking preferential treatment from police . Authorities focused on allegations that NYPD officers provided off-duty to these venues at below-market rates or intervened to resolve citations for issues like noise complaints and underage drinking, potentially in exchange for undisclosed benefits. Key allegations centered on influence peddling, with prosecutors seeking communications to determine if Caban, as commissioner, directed or facilitated such arrangements to benefit connected parties. On or around September 5, 2024, FBI agents executed a search at Caban's home, seizing his cellphone and other electronic devices as part of subpoenas targeting members of Mayor ' inner circle. Despite these actions, no public has emerged directly implicating Caban in criminal conduct, and federal authorities have not filed charges against him as of late 2024. This inquiry unfolded amid wider federal scrutiny of Adams' administration, including raids on aides' homes and offices starting in late 2023, yet empirical shows a pattern of seizures without subsequent indictments for many involved, including Caban. Caban maintained he had done nothing wrong, resigning on September 12, 2024, to prevent the probe from distracting NYPD operations.

Twin brother's role and influence peddling claims

James Caban, the identical twin brother of Edward Caban and a former NYPD sergeant dismissed in the early 2000s following an altercation with a cab driver, operated a private firm providing services to New York City nightclubs and restaurants. Federal investigators examined claims that James leveraged his familial connection to the NYPD commissioner to secure leniency for his clients, including allegations of payments in exchange for intervening in enforcement actions against establishments like bars in Midtown Manhattan and Queens. One Brooklyn juice bar owner accused James of attempting to extort $2,500 in September 2024 by promising to resolve NYPD-related issues, though James denied the claim through his attorney. A February 15, 2025, filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by NYPD Emelio Rodriques alleged that James impersonated his twin brother multiple times at the 34th Precinct stationhouse, aided by Aneudy Castillo, to influence nightlife oversight and decisions against certain businesses or officers. The described James of his access to the commissioner to precinct personnel, part of broader into whether such "consulting" activities constituted , though no financial benefit to Edward Caban was substantiated. In a related incident, Edward Caban overruled internal recommendations in October 2024 to discipline three officers involved in a raid on a Brooklyn bar linked to James's security interests, citing insufficient evidence of misconduct. James received an NYPD during Edward's tenure, justified by the risk of attacks, which critics argued facilitated his alleged interventions. Both brothers consistently denied any impropriety, with their lawyers asserting that James's dealings were legitimate and uninfluenced by NYPD favoritism. By July 2025, the federal probe into these influence-peddling allegations had been deprioritized, with no charges filed against either Caban, prompting some observers to question potential prosecutorial overreach amid unproven claims, while others highlighted risks of normalized in .

Resignation and aftermath

Caban announced his resignation as NYPD on September 12, , stating in an to department members that the decision was made "for the good of this city and this department" to avoid distractions from ongoing federal investigations and allow him to focus on his defense. The move followed federal raids a week earlier that included the seizure of his phone and came under from City Hall, which cited political amid broader probes into the administration, though Caban did not admit wrongdoing and no charges have been filed against him as of October 2025. His departure, effective September 13, , marked the first high-level exit from the administration tied to the federal scrutiny, with Tom Donlon appointed as interim commissioner. In the immediate aftermath, Caban stepped aside voluntarily without formal suspension or indictment, preserving his pension eligibility under NYPD rules for commissioners who resign rather than being removed for cause. The resignation drew criticism from some lawmakers and observers who linked it to alleged influence peddling by his twin brother, though federal officials have not publicly corroborated criminal conduct by Caban himself. Since late 2024, Caban has maintained a low public profile, with no reported professional engagements or public statements on NYPD matters. By 2025, a federal indicated the targeting Caban had been placed on the back burner, suggesting diminished and evidentiary viability for the allegations, as no arrests or indictments had materialized despite initial raids. As of mid-2025, the investigation remains open but inactive, with Caban's legal team declining comment on its status.

Personal life

Marriage and children

Edward Caban is married to Leidy Caban. The has two children: a son named Edward and a named Ava, both as of 2023. During Caban's swearing-in ceremony as NYPD on July 18, 2023, his children held the Bible for the oath, and he kissed his wife afterward.

Post-resignation activities

Following his on , 2024, Edward Caban has maintained a low profile, with no reported return to or high-visibility roles as of October 2025. Caban's attorney affirmed that he "unequivocally denies any " and has fully cooperated with federal investigators probing allegations tied to NYPD practices. In his letter to NYPD personnel, Caban emphasized that recent developments had created distractions for the department, prompting his departure to prioritize its operational focus. No verified engagements in private sector consulting, speaking, or other pursuits have emerged in or reporting through mid-2025, consistent with a shift toward personal and legal matters amid ongoing .

References

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