Unveiling NYPD’s First Deputy Commissioner: On Monday, Commissioner Edward Caban became the first Hispanic to lead the New York City Police Department. First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella, on the other hand, is the first woman of colour to occupy this position.
They have a combined 52 years of experience in the department and have received numerous complaints. According to a 2006 City report, Caban, a 32-year NYPD veteran, was previously accused of using threats and obscenities during a stop-and-frisk.
While the other allegations were without merit, it was determined that Caban issued the man a summons for disorderly conduct in retaliation for his disorderly conduct. In 1994, The New York Post reported that he and several other sergeants were accused of failing on an exam.
Unveiling NYPD’s First Deputy Commissioner
The Civilian Complaint Review Board, an agency tasked with investigating allegations of police misconduct, has determined that none of the charges brought against Kinsella during her 20 years with the department are genuine.
The CCRB determined that two complaints lodged in 2006 and 2007 alleging rudeness, profanity, and abuse of authority were unfounded or false. After reviewing a 2006 complaint alleging that Kinsella had used excessive force, the CCRB determined that he had adhered to policy.
In a more recent complaint from October 2020, Kinsella was accused of violating her authority for entering and searching a property without first presenting an arrest warrant.
City & State obtained complaint records detailing an incident in which 20 officers, including Kinsella, broke into a Staten Island residence at dawn. According to the partially redacted records, police allegedly intimidated the complainant and her children by pointing their firearms at them and then handcuffing the complainant’s daughter.
According to the lawsuit, police never provided a reason for their presence, but another person was apprehended at the scene for a gun possession warrant. The prosecution was dismissed because the firearm was never located.
Nevertheless, the CCRB classified the complaint as “closed – pending litigation.” According to the closing report, the complainant chose to have the investigation concluded because her fiancé “had an open criminal case regarding the incident.” However, the CCRB has an 18-month statute of limitations that expired in 2022; after that date, cases can only be reopened if an accusation could constitute a crime.
A spokesperson for the NYPD reiterated that no evidence was found to substantiate the allegations against Kinsella. A spokesman for the CCRB stated in an email that the charge of unauthorised entry into a place had been closed “pending litigation” because the complainant or victim had decided, on the advice of legal counsel, not to participate in the investigation.
Kinsella was named as a defendant in a 2020 lawsuit filed against the city by an NYPD sergeant alleging discrimination and a hostile work environment. The magistrate ruled against the plaintiffs in 2021.
Staten Island’s highest-ranking officials, including former City Councilwoman Debi Rose and current District Attorney Michael McMahon, have all praised Kinsella’s appointment.