Eric Adams was the second Black mayor of the biggest US city. (Representational)
New York's top cop, head of the largest police department in the United States, resigned Thursday amid corruption probes swirling through the city's leadership.
The storied New York Police Department (NYPD) is a mammoth force including 35,000 uniformed officers and a budget of just under $6 billion.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the departure of Edward Caban, the New York City Police Department commissioner, in a brief televised statement.
"A short time ago, I accepted the resignation," he said, noting that he took ongoing federal probes into his administration "extremely seriously."
Adams said he was appointing veteran law enforcement officer Tom Donlon as the force's interim commissioner.
Caban, 57, had come under pressure to resign after federal agents seized his cellphone and those of other high-ranking members in the Adams administration.
No criminal charges have been filed and federal authorities have yet to clarify what they are probing. According to ABC News, one investigation is targeting city contracts and another enforcement of regulations on nightlife.
Adams, a former police officer and only the second Black mayor of the biggest US city, is increasingly weighed down by growing scandals, including a sexual assault allegation and claims of corruption.
Caban, appointed by Adams in 2023, is the first Latino NYPD commissioner.
In his statement, Adams addressed New Yorkers, telling them he "was as surprised as you" to hear of the federal probes.
"I spent more than 20 years in law enforcement, and so every member of the administration knows my expectations that we must follow the law," he said.
A prominent member of the city council, Robert Holden, said Caban had stepped down "for the greater good of the department and New York."
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