NYPD School Safety Division searched by federal investigators, sources say
NEW YORK -- The NYPD's School Safety Division was searched by federal investigators Thursday in Queens, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation.
Sources tell CBS News New York the home of that department's former commanding officer, Kevin Taylor, was also searched and his cellphones seized.
According to the NYPD, Taylor was reassigned to Patrol Borough Manhattan North in February, and on Thursday, he was restricted to desk duty pending the outcome of an investigation.
The New York Times reports the latest search is part of a probe into a potential bribery scheme involving city contracts. The focus is reportedly on a consulting firm run by Terence Banks, the brother of two top Adams administration officials who have either resigned or retired. It's reportedly related to SaferWatch, a tech company that sells panic buttons to schools and police across the country.
A spokesperson says, "SaferWatch has worked successfully with law enforcement agencies and with schools throughout the nation. There are no indications that the company or any of its employees are targets of any investigation."
None of the Banks brothers have been charged with any wrongdoing, and they've maintained they've done nothing wrong.
The feds and the city's Department of Investigation have declined to comment.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams became the city's first sitting mayor to be indicted on federal charges last month in one of at least five investigations into his administration.
Adams pleaded not guilty to bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance charges, and has repeatedly said he is still able to run the city, despite growing calls for him to resign.
On "The Reset Talk Show" Friday, Adams tried to do his own reset after another tough week.
"We're seeing nine straight months of a decrease in crime," he said.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams considering NYPD commissioner
Meanwhile, City Hall sources tell CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer the mayor is still making up his mind about the next commissioner of the NYPD.
Interim Commissioner Tom Donlon took over the department nearly a month ago when former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban resigned after he and his twin brother were raided by the feds.
Nine days later, Donlon's home was also searched, and investigators confiscated documents from 20 years ago when he was a Homeland Security official.
Sources tell Kramer the mayor is considering Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch and former First Deputy Police Commissioner Ben Tucker to fill the role on a permanent basis.
It's unclear exactly when Adams will make his decision, but it could be as early as next week.
Latest investigations of Adams' inner circle
The mayor's administration is also facing another corruption investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the city's Department of Investigation. Sources say it involves the city's leasing of commercial properties and a number of officials, including Adams' chief advisor Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who has been his confidant for decades. Prosecutors seized Lewis-Martin's phones a few weeks ago when she returned from a trip in Japan, along with Diana Boutross, a broker involved with city leases.
Lewis-Martin's lawyer, Arthur Aidala, told CBS News New York he was confident his client's actions will be found to have met "the highest legal standard." A City Hall spokesperson said "we expect employees to follow all ethical guidelines."
This is the fifth probe into Adams' team, and 10 members of his administration have announced they will be leaving. In addition to Caban, other high-level departures include First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, her husband Schools Chancellor David Banks and his brother Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III.
"On one level, people have reached to say, 'Restructuring is a good idea,' and then when you start doing restructuring, everybody says, 'Everybody is abandoning ship.' That is just not true," Adams said Friday.
So far, the other only official to be charged with a crime is the mayor's former liaison for Muslim community affairs, Mohamed Bahi.
