NYC NOW - September 13, 2024: Midday News

Episode Date: September 13, 2024

Despite a decrease in incarcerated people and fewer corrections staff in New York City, the Independent Budget Office says overtime is driving the Department of Corrections high spending. Meanwhile, a bill to decriminalize jaywalking in New York City is on hold after advocates raised concerns over last-minute changes that would still penalize pedestrians. Plus, Mayor Eric Adams has appointed Tom Donilon as interim NYPD Commissioner following Edward Caban’s resignation, which came one week after his phones were seized in a federal investigation. WNYC’s public safety reporter Matt Katz has the latest.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Friday, September 13th. Here's the midday news from Alec Hamilton. The number of people incarcerated in New York City has plummeted over the last 10 years. So has the number of correction officers. But spending on the Department of Correction is the same. WNYC's Matt Katz looks into some of the reasons why.

The Independent Budget Office says overtime, $270 million last year alone is to blame. A new report from the agency found that costs on overtime and outside contracts have surged. So the city now spends more than $600 a day for each detainee housed at Rikers. That's double the cost from 10 years ago and doesn't include medical care. There's now one officer for every detainee at Rikers. Nationally, data shows jails average one officer for every four. detainees. A spokesperson for the Department of Correction did not return or request for a comment. A bill that would decriminalize jaywalking in New York City is on pause in the city council. Members polled the bill

abruptly yesterday after some advocates, such as transportation alternatives and legal aid, raised concerns about last-minute changes to the legislation that they say would still penalize pedestrians. Council member Tiffany Cobon is a sponsor of the bill. She says the intent is to protect black and brown New Yorkers who are disproportionately ticketed for jaywalking. So we're seeing a discriminatory enforcement of this. But the other thing is that it's not keeping us any safer. It's not decreasing traffic violence. In fact, we're seeing traffic violence at a higher rate.

It's unclear when a new version of the bill might come before the city council. Sunny today with a high near 81, a low tonight around 64 with some patchy fog creeping in after 2 a.m. But a nice sunny weekend up ahead. Stay close. There's more after the break. NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban resigned yesterday one week after his phones were seized as part of a federal investigation. Mayor Eric Adams has appointed an interim replacement. My colleague David First spoke with WNYC's public safety reporter Matt Katz. Matt, how did we get to where we are now?

What led to Caban's resignation? He's only been police commissioner for a little more than a year. Yeah, that's right, David. The IRS and federal prosecutors, we know, are investigating Caban and his twin brother, James Caban, who was the one who ran this business where James Caban did security consulting for nightclubs and music venues. And this investigation is reportedly about whether there was some sort of financial arrangement where James Caban was paid for favorable treatment that he got from police. neither Kaban has said they had anything to do with anything illegal, but Commissioner Kaban said an email to the police department yesterday that news around the recent developments had created a distraction for the department. So for the good of the city and for the good of the department, he said he decided to resign. Is there a way to describe Kaban's legacy at this point before things shake out with the federal investigation?

Yeah, I would say he wasn't as front and center in the media as his predecessors might have been. New Yorkers might actually be more familiar with Deputy Commissioner Kaz Dautry, Chief John Shell. These are people who are far more present on social media and TV news as the face of the NYPD over the last year or so. But Cobon was a trailblazer in his own right. He was the first Latino commissioner of the department, worked his way up from being an officer in the South Bronx back in 1991 to becoming first deputy. commissioner under Mayor Adams' last police commissioner, Keach and Sewell. He oversaw a surge of officers into the subways since he's been in his position. That led to increasing officer overtime, a spike in arrest for fair evasion, and also a 2% drop in major crimes on the subway. He,

in terms of criticism, has been regularly criticized for weakening the already weak system of police accountability in the city. As an example, ProPublica recently did. It a story about how Cobon personally intervened in more than 50 disciplinary cases against cops who had been accused of choking, beating, using tasers on New Yorkers. And his intervention prevented these officers from going to administrative trial and therefore foregoing any possible punishment of the officers. And meanwhile, the number of complaints by New Yorkers of police misconduct under Kambon has really skyrocketed. They were up 51% last year. Well, with Caban gone, let's hear more about the interim replacement. We've heard some headlines,

but to who is running, the nation's largest police department. Interim commissioner is Thomas Donlin, never been a street cop. This comes from outside the department. But according to his bios, he has extensive experience and specifically counterterrorism. He's a former FBI agent who investigated the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and later led the New York State Office of Homeland Security. He was appointed by former governor David Patterson. So he's familiar with New York. He's actually from the Bronx. And at one point, he ran the FBI, NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force.

More recently, he was running a global security company that he founded. He touted himself as having experience in executive protection, security, special events. And here's what the mayor said yesterday about interim commissioner, Donlon. Tom joins a team at one police plaza that is relenting. dedicated to public safety and protecting New Yorkers. That is why New York is the safest big city in the world and why it will continue to be. Is it possible that interim commissioner Thomas Donnellin becomes permanent commissioner, Thomas Donnell? The mayor clearly thought he had to make an appointment here quickly, but a permanent appointment

doesn't require approval from city council or anything like that. So Donnellan certainly could be made permanent at some point. I think what we're hearing most is just a need for stability regardless. Remember, it has long been viewed that another person, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, Philip Banks, has this outsized role running the NYPD with maybe more power than the commissioners. Banks had resigned himself from the department several years ago while under federal investigation for corruption. Adams, though, appointed him in this new role as Deputy Mayor, Public Safety, and now cause some controversy.

And now Banks is actually one of the officials who had his home searched this month by federal investigators as part of these several investigations into the administration. And we'll hear much more about this in the weeks and months ahead. WMIC's Matt Katz. Thanks for joining us.

Appreciate it, David. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC. Check us out for updates every weekday, three times a day, for the latest news headlines and occasional deep times and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

We'll be back this evening.