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NYPD execs’ social media posts were 'irresponsible and unprofessional,' city investigators say
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Jan 28, 2025
Modified Jan 30, 2025
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Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Jan 28, 2025
Modified Jan 30, 2025
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The city Department of Investigation’s inspector general criticized some of the NYPD’s top-ranking officers for “irresponsible and unprofessional” behavior on social media in a report published Tuesday.
The 44-page report found that NYPD executives' social media accounts – including those of NYPD Chief of Department John Chell and Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry – violated city policies “related to being courteous and civil.” The DOI also said some of this behavior did “raise questions” about whether the behavior “may be deemed prohibited engagement in political activity by city employees,” but the department added that it was inconclusive.
“New York City deserves public officials who use social media responsibly, to communicate accurate information and to prompt respectful dialogue on issues of importance to the community, and not as a means to ridicule those with whom they disagree," DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said in a statement. "No aspect of the social media exchanges that DOI reviewed in this investigation served the public."
The nation’s largest police department faced scrutiny last year from city lawmakers and activists for an increasingly combative culture. This included posts some of the NYPD’s executive staff made on X, formerly known as Twitter, last year toward a judge, members of the public, journalists and even one elected official.
In 2024, Chell posted online that sitting Councilmember Tiffany Cabán “hates our city.” City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams subsequently called for an investigation into the NYPD’s social media behavior, which she called both “dangerous” and “unethical.”
Cabán said this week that the report should have gone further.
"The Department of Investigations declined to take up the question of whether or not Chell broke the law and violated the Hatch act," she said in a statement, referring to a law that limits political activity by federal employees. "And while DOI concluded that 'NYPD executives should steer clear of communications that even raise such questions,' let’s be clear: Armed officers should not be engaging in threatening political activity that endangers our democracy. The fact that Chell was never disciplined and has since been promoted only serves to reinforce that there is a lack of accountability at the very top of the NYPD.”
In a post on X, the speaker applauded the DOI for its investigation and report.
“Moving forward, the NYPD should comply with DOI’s recommendations and the City’s social media policy and only engage in courteous and professional conduct. I thank DOI for conducting this investigation,” Adams said in her social media post.
City Council spokesperson Rendy Desamours said the NYPD must "maintain strong oversight to ensure compliance" with city policy.
"Ensuring the NYPD’s social practices are appropriate and respectful requires the Department to hold those found to have violated policies accountable," Desamours said in a statement. "We thank the Inspector General and DOI for their work and reiterate that public discourse among the public, city employees, and public officials must maintain decorum even when disagreeing."
In response, the NYPD said it has already made significant changes to its social media practices.
The DOI said the police department’s existing social media policy did not train NYPD executives on proper social media use, including content and language.
They recommended the police department ensure its social media policy complies with all city agency standards, train its staff, and assign digital communication officers to all of its social media accounts.
This story has been updated with additional comment from members of the City Council and NYPD.
Tagged
new york city
public safety
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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