NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban says he's an average New Yorker, vows to assure residents city is safe
NEW YORK -- Police Commissioner Edward Caban was sworn in this week as New York City's 46th police commissioner.
He made history, becoming the first Hispanic man to lead the NYPD.
Wednesday, he spoke with CBS New York political reporter Marcia Kramer about the challenges running the largest police department on the planet.
Caban promises to be a top cop unlike any of his predecessors.
He's humble, he started out as a beat cop in the Bronx, and when it came time to set up an interview, he called Kramer himself.
Caban, who calls himself Eddie, is determined to put his personal stamp on a department he has served for over three decades.
He is unassuming, telling Kramer he's just an average New Yorker, even if he does have a special badge with five stars that has been passed down from commissioner to commissioner.
Watch an extended interview
"My first day started 32 years ago when I first became a cop because I think whether you're the police commissioner or whether you're a cop on the street, it's the same mission. You want to help people. You want to reduce crime. You want to make people feel better, feel safe. That's always been my mission," Caban said.
He freely admits it's now a mission with challenges, including recruiting cops and convincing New Yorkers they're safe and most crime numbers are down, even though random acts of violence persist.
"I think our biggest challenges is perception versus reality," Caban said.
"How do you convince people that their perception is wrong? That we are safe?" Kramer asked.
"I'm going to go out there every day, Marcia. People are gonna see me out in the streets. I'm going to walk with our cops. I'm going to walk into the neighborhoods and walk into the stores, walk into the subways. I'm going to walk with them and assure them that New York City is the safest big city in America," Caban said.
"How do you deal with that perception that people think that police are just going to shoot you?" Kramer said.
"Well, there are very little times in our agency we actually use our weapons, and no officer wakes up with that instinct that they want to go out there and harm any New Yorker, so right now, we have the lowest levels of force amongst police and amongst citizens," Caban said.
"Have you ever fired your gun?" Kramer asked.
"Thank God I haven't, Marcia," Caban said.
Caban succeeded Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, who resigned reportedly because she was irked by micromanaging from City Hall.
- Read more: NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell receives standing ovation on her final day at helm of department
"Are you worried about the possibility of micromanaging from City Hall?" Kramer asked Caban.
"The mayor has his job to do, and I have mine. I think the mayor understands that I have my own independent voice, and I continue to have my own independent voice," Caban said.
Caban talks a lot about his dad, a transit detective, who served with Eric Adams. Kramer asked him if his dad gave him any advice when he got the top job.
"He told me, 'Don't ever change. Stay as you are, son.' It's very, very important to him that, as a police commissioner, I'll never, never change. For every single New Yorker to know that I am one of them," Caban said.
Caban is a die-hard Yankee fan, and he likes to spend time off, if that ever happens, with his wife and two kids.
He told Kramer that when the mayor called to offer him the job, his first words were "thank God."