Mayor Adams has quietly expanded the portfolio of Kaz Daughtry, his controversial public security deputy, granting him the ability to assist run the legislation enforcement items of a slew of civilian New York Metropolis companies, together with the departments of Sanitation and Parks.
The deputy mayor for public security, a place Adams reintroduced to the municipal paperwork upon taking workplace in 2022, was beforehand tasked with simply supervising the departments of Correction, Hearth and Probation, in addition to some smaller companies and workplaces centered on prison justice.
However in an govt order issued Monday, Adams wrote that the general public security deputy is now additionally to “maintain liaison with and review the activities of” the legislation enforcement items of 10 civilian companies, together with the departments of Parks, Sanitation, Well being, Homeless Companies, Environmental Safety and Citywide Administrative Companies.
The opposite 4 municipal companies whose legislation enforcement items the general public security deputy will now additionally assist oversee are the Administration for Kids’s Companies, the Human Assets Administration, the Taxi and Limousine Fee and H + H, town’s public hospital system, Adams’ order states.
The ten companies, together with their legislation enforcement items, beforehand reported to different deputy mayors.
Mayor Adams and Kaz Daughtry on Nov. 13, 2024. (Barry Williams/ New York Every day Information)
It wasn’t instantly clear if Daughtry has any explicit plans for the brand new legislation enforcement items underneath his purview.
Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak stated Tuesday that giving Daughtry enter on the items “ensures we have a cohesive approach to public safety.” She additionally recommended the ten companies’ legislation enforcement arms have “always directly coordinated” with the deputy mayor for public security, however didn’t present any earlier orders or memos spelling out such a chain-of-command.
Adams’ new order additionally instructs Jacques Jiha, his funds director, to report on to him as an alternative of Randy Mastro, a Giuliani administration alum lately picked to turn into Adams’ new first deputy mayor. Politico first reported the hierarchy shuffle associated to Jiha.
The order offers Daughtry, an ex-NYPD official and shut ally of Adams who has been on the middle of a lot of controversies, a wider set of duties than each his predecessors, Chauncey Parker and Philip Banks, had on paper.
Officers assigned to the legislation enforcement items of the ten companies in query typically don’t wield firearms, however are geared up with non-lethal weapons like batons. In addition they have the ability to conduct sure arrests and concern summonses for offenses on the premises managed by their companies. As an illustration, the Division of Homeless Companies’ police drive patrols metropolis shelters.
The growth of Daughtry’s portfolio comes after he has confronted scrutiny over his tenure on the NYPD.
Because the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of operations, he helped run the division’s Group Response Workforce, whose members have confronted intense criticism over misconduct accusations. Daughtry has over the course of his personal police profession racked up dozens of misconduct complaints and is dealing with an lively Manhattan Supreme Courtroom lawsuit over allegations that he body-slammed a protester in 2023.
Daughtry was tapped for the general public security position this month after Parker and three different deputy mayors resigned over considerations about Adams’ capacity to control town amid the Trump Justice Division’s effort to dismiss his corruption indictment with some uncommon circumstances hooked up, together with a request for help with immigration enforcement. Adams has denied a quid professional quo with Trump and pleaded not responsible to his prison expenses.
Although his duties have been formally extra restricted than Daughtry’s, Banks, an ex-NYPD chief shut with Adams, was recognized to as deputy mayor for public security actual important affect over the operations of the Police Division. Banks resigned in October after being ensnared in a federal corruption investigation.
Initially Revealed: March 25, 2025 at 1:05 PM EDT
