Highestranking NYPD officer resigns suddenly amid sexual misconduct allegations
Dec 21, 2024
The New York City Police Department has confirmed a shake-up at the top of the department following the Friday night departure of its highest-ranking uniformed officer.
Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey resigned suddenly amid allegations he demanded sex from a subordinate. Maddrey is being replaced by Chief of Patrol John Chell, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed in a statement.
Tisch’s statement did not mention Maddrey by name. A spokesperson for the department declined to comment on the allegations against Maddrey other than to say it “takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and will thoroughly investigate this matter.”
An officer, who holds an administrative post in Maddrey’s office, told The New York Post that her boss routinely demanded sex from her and other favors since being elevated to chief of department.
She told the paper her lawyer plans to file a notice of claim with the city comptroller’s office Saturday outlining her allegations.
Maddrey’s attorney, Lambros Lambrou, told NBC New York that his client “denies the allegations of any sexual interaction,” “let alone sexual interaction in exchange for overtime.”
Lambrou went on to say his client had plans to retire soon because he had recently become a lawyer and decided to step down early amid the sexual misconduct allegations. Maddrey has plans to go into private practice, his lawyer said.
Maddrey served two years as chief of department. In that time, he worked under four different police commissioners. Former Commissioner Keechant Sewell appointed Maddrey in December 2022 — she was preceded by Eddie Caban, Tom Donlon and Tisch, who has been on the job for less than a month.
Maddrey joined the police force in 1991 at the age of 20 and rose through the ranks to become chief of housing in 2021 and then chief of patrol later that year, before being promoted to chief of department, according to his department biography.
Earlier this year, an administrative trial judge in the department recommended dropping a disciplinary case against Maddrey regarding a November 2021 incident in which he ordered officers to void the arrest of a retired officer who previously worked for him.
The judge ruled at the time that the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, a police watchdog agency, lacked jurisdiction. to pursue the case.
Tisch announced that Chief of Transportation Philip Rivera will step into 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. “The interim Chiefs of Department and Patrol will continue to lead the efforts to reduce crime and disorder and build public trust.”
According to the NYPD, the chief of department is tasked with overseeing the department’s “crime-fighting strategies, quality of life initiatives, and operational plans.”