On October 15, Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment of Chauncey Parker as the new Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, taking over the role from Philip Banks, who recently resigned. Parker will be responsible for coordinating public safety efforts across various city departments. Adams emphasized the city’s “ample talent pool” and noted that many are “eager to join” his team.
With nearly 40 years of law enforcement experience, Parker previously served as the Deputy Chief of Collaborative Policing for the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Since 1995, he has held various significant positions, including Executive Director of the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Executive Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, and Director and Commissioner of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
In July, Parker took on the role of assistant to Philip Banks, focusing on preventing gun violence and developing strategies for youth crime prevention.
“The talent within our city is deep, and we received nine applications from outside the city government,” Adams stated. “However, after careful consideration, Parker clearly emerged as the best candidate.”
The Deputy Mayor for Public Safety is responsible for liaising with various law enforcement agencies, including the NYPD, the Department of Corrections (DOC), the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), and the NYC Emergency Management Department, while reporting directly to Adams. This position had not existed in the city’s structure since the 1990s until Banks was appointed in January 2022.
As Adams’ administration faces federal scrutiny, the Banks family has seen a series of high-level resignations. According to POLITICO, the Department of Education recently received subpoenas from federal investigators looking into potential corruption involving city contracts related to the Banks family business. On November 11, Philip Banks defended himself on social media platform X, urging reporters to file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to verify the facts.
On the same day, Adams also announced the appointment of Mona Suazo as Assistant Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, filling Parker’s previous position. Suazo was also an assistant to Philip Banks.
