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Yesterday, federal law enforcement officials raided the home of former NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch posted a statement to X that said Maddrey has been suspended, following allegations by a subordinate that he coerced sexual favors from her in exchange for overtime opportunities.
Maddrey’s suspension without pay comes 12 days after he abruptly announced his resignation in the face of the allegations by the subordinate, Lt. Quathisa Epps.
Maddrey is the latest in a long list of close Adams associates who have been the targets of federal law enforcement actions, including home raids and seizures of electronics. The roll call includes Adams’ former police commissioner, former schools chancellor, former deputy mayor of public safety, former first deputy mayor, former senior advisor, former Asian affairs advisor, as well as Adams himself.
Reporters asked Adams in a press conference on Tuesday whether he takes responsibility for the conduct of the people he has elevated or appointed, but he spoke only generally about his position as mayor. He was also asked about his staunch defense in recent years of Maddrey, who was elevated to the top uniformed policing role with Adams’ approval despite some significant red flags in his work history.
In 2023, the Civilian Complaint Review Board substantiated charges that Maddrey had abused his authority by improperly voiding the arrest of an ex-cop, also a former subordinate, who had allegedly pulled a gun on three young boys. THE CITY exposed the incident in an investigative series, including a video revealing that Maddrey showed up to the police precinct shortly before the ex-cop got sprung from a holding cell.
But even after the Civilian Complaint Review Board had substantiated its case against Maddrey in 2023, Adams stated publicly that Maddrey had acted “appropriately” in intervening in the ex-cop’s arrest.
“I have the utmost confidence in Chief Maddrey,” Adams said at the time.
Read more here about former NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey.
Weather ⛅
Mostly sunny and around 40 degrees — but wind will make it feel cooler.
MTA 🚇
There’s no A train between West 4th Street and 145th this weekend, starting at 11:30 p.m. tonight. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.
Even as licensed “dollar vans” all but vanish from city streets, unregulated commuter carriers are battling the MTA for street space and riders in parts of Brooklyn and Queens. Officially, the number of commuter vans on the streets has dropped by 93% since 2015 — but MTA officials and union representatives for the agency’s bus operators say the official dollar van downturn has given way to a boom in unlicensed commuter vans that clog bus stops and bus lanes, further slowing buses that poke along at an average citywide speed of 8.1 mph. And solving the long-running turf battle poses a political challenge: efforts to introduce legislation that would regulate the dollar vans faced backlash from unions that represent bus operators.
In more transit news, congestion pricing officially begins this weekend! We’ve updated our FAQ guide with even more reader questions, like this one submitted by George P.: If you drive into the district, can you leave the district and return? Is there another fee? We confirmed with the MTA that passenger vehicles and motorcycles that make multiple trips in and out of the toll zone within a day will be charged only once. Still have questions? Read the full guide here — and if you still have questions when you're done, email ask@thecity.nyc.
Reporter’s Notebook
Doctors Vow Public Hospital Strike
Nearly 1,000 public hospital doctors plan to go on strike on Jan. 13 if their union, the Doctors Council/SEIU, does not reach a deal on a new contract that addresses staffing shortages and other issues by then.
On Thursday, attending physicians at four NYC Health + Hospitals facilities — Jacobi Medical Center, North Central Bronx Hospital, Queens Hospital Center and South Brooklyn Health — delivered a required 10-day notice of their intention to potentially go on strike. The doctors have been pushing for improved physician recruitment and retention across the system since their most recent contract expired IN September 2023. Jacobi and North Central Bronx have been unable to recruit any rheumatologists since 2023, when the entire division resigned, according to the union. In an effort to address long patient wait lists, Health + Hospitals decided to slash primary care appointment times from 40 to 20 minutes last summer, POLITICO reported at the time.
Jacobi primary care physician Joplin T. Steinweiss said in a statement that H+H and its affiliates “are failing to offer a contract that addresses the rising costs of living, the long hours we work, and the increasing stress and burnout we face as our hospitals struggle to recruit and retain qualified doctors.”
– Claudia Irizarry Aponte
Things To Do
Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.
Today, Jan. 3: Watch the Quadrantids meteor shower from the LaTourette Park Model Airfield on Staten Island. 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 4: Planning to take up a new hobby in the new year? Go on a birding walk at the Green-Wood Cemetery with new and seasoned birders alike. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 6: Celebrate Three Kings Day at El Museo Del Barrio with a parade followed by a live musical performance in the museum. Parade starts at 11 a.m.
THE KICKER: January’s going to be a great month for stargazing: in addition to the meteor shower, tonight you’ll be able to see Venus shining bright right next to the moon.
Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Friday.
Love,
THE CITY
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New Years tips from Chase’s Community Manager on good credit hygiene
In communities across Brooklyn, Shakima Figuera-Collins, a Community Manager for JPMorganChase, teaches New Yorkers about how good credit can help unlock the door to a brighter future. To her, the analogy is simple: “think of building credit like practicing good hygiene. The more you maintain good financial habits and clean up past mistakes, the better your credit can be.”
As we get ready for 2025, here are three tips Shakima shares with New Yorkers from traditionally-underserved communities:
Know your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio – DTI is the percentage of your monthly income that goes toward paying off debts. Keep DTI ratios low, as this shows you're more likely to be able to afford monthly loan payments in the future.
Check your credit reports – You have a credit report with the three major bureaus. You can access your ExperianTM credit report for free with Chase Credit Journey®.
Pay off delinquent accounts – Bring any delinquent accounts current, or work to pay them off when you are able. Delinquencies include past due payments, charge-offs, collections or judgments.
Learn more about how JPMorganChase is supporting New Yorkers and sharing financial health information in communities across the city.
THE CITY's work is made possible, in part, through the support of our sponsors. Interested in becoming a sponsor of THE CITY? Contact us here.
