Top NYPD officials faulted by investigators for ‘demeaning’ social media posts

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NEW YORK (AP) — Two high-ranking New York City police chiefs violated department policy by attacking civil servants and journalists with “unprofessional” and “demeaning” social media posts, an independent monitor found.

In a report released Tuesday, the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD faulted the department’s current top uniformed member, John Chell, along with Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry for posts published on X last year that served to “diminish senior law enforcement officers in the eyes of the public.”

The online vitriol coincided with an explicit push by the nation’s largest police force to “control the narrative” by creating their own media apparatus and going after those seen as hostile to the department’s goals.

In their report, investigators outlined several instances of “inappropriate” online behavior, including a post from Chell’s official X account that accused a New York judge of letting a “predator” loose on the city’s streets. He later acknowledged that he had misidentified the judge.

Chell also described a progressive member of the City Council as a “person who hates our city” after she questioned the NYPD’s response to campus protests against Israel. In another missive attacking the lawmaker, Chell told his followers to “vote the change you seek.”

That message could potentially run afoul of the Hatch Act, a federal law that bars political activity of government employees who work in connection with federal programs, according to the report. At minimum, investigators said the online name-calling defied basic internal guidelines.

“They violated department policies related to being courteous and civil, and raise questions with respect to whether they may be deemed prohibited engagement in political activity by City employees,” the report stated.

A spokesperson for the NYPD said the agency had made “significant changes to its social media practices” since the probe began last year. The spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether any officials would face consequences for violating department policy.

On multiple occasions, both Chell and Daughtry bestowed mocking nicknames on journalists, who they accused of spreading misinformation about the administration’s achievements.

At the time, Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, defended officials for “standing up for police officers who are placing their lives on the line.” Last month, Chell was named chief of the department, replacing another Adams ally who resigned following allegations of sexual abuse.

Rendy Desamours, a spokesperson for the City Council, said the investigation made clear that the NYPD “must align its social media practices with the City’s established policy and maintain strong oversight to ensure compliance.”

“Ensuring the NYPD’s social practices are appropriate and respectful requires the Department to hold those found to have violated policies accountable,” the statement continued.

In the report, the inspector general said the aggressive messages had stopped after the probe began last year — though not because of any official change in department policies around social media.

“Rather, the department recognized that it could respond effectively to criticism without creating a public backlash,” the report said.