NYPD chief of patrol steps down
Bronx BP Diaz criticizes mayor after Fausto Pichardo’s sudden resignation
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Borough President Ruben
Diaz, Jr. held no words back
in criticizing Mayor Bill de
Blasio over the sudden resignation
of NYPD Chief of Patrol
Fausto Pichardo, which
sources said happened after
de Blasio attempted to reach
him by phone during the heat
of the protests in Brooklyn’s
Borough Park last week, even
after he had left the scene.
“The mayor is once again
displaying his ineptitude at
being the leader of this city,”
Diaz said, adding, “during the
height of the two biggest issues
that have hit New York
City hard (the COVID-19 pandemic
and rising crime rates),
this mayor has managed to
push out the BEST assets he
has had at his disposal.”
Diaz was also sharp to call
out de Blasio on “the fact that
he has alienated highly qualifi
ed Latinos such as Dr. Oxiris
Barbot and Chief Fausto Pichardo,”
something the borough
president said “compels us in
the community to question his
commitment to us.”
“I am disturbed how the
mayor’s offi ce is hemorrhaging
such great talent when
New York City needs allhands
on-deck as we try to recover
as a city and as a community,”
he added.
Some top cops told the
Bronx Times that “micromanaging”
was “a breach of the
chain of command” in which
mayors in the past would
contact the commissioner or
his deputies rather than call
command chiefs in the fi eld
for updates.
Chief Pichardo will retire
after serving 21 years as a police
offi cer, one of the younger
members of the top ranks of
the NYPD. Commissioner
Dermot Shea has 30 years in
the department. Pichardo was
in charge of tens of thousands
of uniform cops in the fi eld.
The chief was at the Borough
Park protests on Wednesday
and directed offi cers to
stop egg throwers in a building
adjacent to where Orthodox
Jewish demonstrators
had gathered. That roof was
cleared, and then some commanders
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claimed Pichardo
left the site — leaving Deputy
Chief Charles Scholl, the
most experienced commander
available, as the ranking cop
at the site to keep the protest
under control.
Hundreds of offi cers were
brought in to contain the protest
within a two-block area.
While the Orthodox Jewish
demonstrators were not hostile
to police, most journalists
present there reported threats
from members of the crowd.
In one case, Jewish journalist
Jacob Kornbluh was assaulted
and chased onto 47th Street
where cops were able to prevent
further attacks.
“There is a chain of command
and we’ve never heard
of the mayor calling a chief
of patrol – it always went
through the commissioner,”
one top cop said.
Published reports indicated
that when Pichardo got
home from what was a 15-hour
shift and missed a call from
de Blasio — and according to
the New York Post, the mayor
summoned the chief to City
Hall on Friday to chew him
out for the oversight.
On Saturday night, the Mayor’s
offi ce reportedly texted
Pichardo several times about a
house party in the Bronx, with
the constant texting viewed
as “meddling,” and again,
“not following a chain of command.”
Pichardo apparently
believed the incident could
be adequately handled by a
precinct commander.
Pichardo held several
high-profi le positions, including
commanding offi -
cer of the 43rd Precinct in
Soundview and commander
in the 33rd Precinct in
Washington Heights.
He was promoted in December,
where he sat next to now
Chief of Detectives Rodney
Harrison, who had worked for
in the past.
“I want to thank Chief Pichardo
for having served New
York City with dignity, class
and distinction. ¡Tu eres el orgullo
de nuestro comunidad!
Best wishes in your future endeavors,
hermano,” Diaz said.
With additional reporting
from Todd Maisel . Read more
at bxtimes.com.
Bronx Borough President Ruben
Diaz, Jr. harshly called out Mayor
de Blasio following the resignation
of a high ranking NYPD offi cer.
File/ Mike Carlo
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