NEW YORK – New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned after a little more than a year running the biggest US police force, amid a federal investigation that led to agents searching his home in September.

In a message to the police department on Sept 12 that was seen by Bloomberg News, he said the investigation had become a distraction and that he has made the “difficult decision” to resign. 

The homes of Mr Caban, deputy mayors Sheena Wright and Philip Banks as well as other top aides to Mayor Eric Adams were searched on Sept 4 as part of a federal probe.

Investigators seized the phones of Mr Caban, his twin brother James as well as several other police officers including Mr Edward Caban’s chief of staff Raul Pintos. 

Investigators are seeking information on alleged influence peddling at New York nightclubs by Mr James Caban, a consultant and former police officer.

Mr Sean Hecker, an attorney representing Mr James Caban, said his client denies any wrongdoing and is fully cooperating with the investigation.

The probe is one of at least three into members of Mr Adams’s inner circle, including one into his 2021 election campaign. They stand to damage the perception of the former police captain even further. 

A December poll by Quinnipiac University found Mr Adams with a 28 per cent approval rating, the lowest since the school began polling New York City’s registered voters almost 30 years ago.

He stands to face a slew of primary challengers in the race for a second term helming the biggest US city. 

Mr James Caban left the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in 2001 after a series of complaints about the use of excessive force, and in 2013 he was sentenced to 30 days in jail after failing to make the necessary repairs to a building where he was the landlord.

The brothers remain close and own houses across the street from each other, according to an August 2023 report by City & State.

Mr Edward Caban, 57, became commissioner in July 2023 after Ms Keechant Sewell, the NYPD’s first female leader, resigned after just 18 months.

Mr Caban, the first Latino chosen for the role, had a close working relationship with Mr Adams.

The New York Times reported in 2023 that Mr Caban had bypassed the rank of chief when Mr Adams promoted him to deputy commissioner in 2022, circumventing the normal hierarchical steps police officers take when ascending to the department’s highest echelon. BLOOMBERG