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NYC politicians demand Mayor Adams discipline NYPD Chief John Chell over 'dangerous' tweets

Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News on

Published in News & Features

NEW YORK — More than three dozen local elected officials are calling on Mayor Eric Adams to discipline New York Police Department Chief John Chell over “illegal” and “dangerous” social media attacks that the police honcho has leveled against lawmakers, journalists and others in recent months.

In a Friday letter to Adams exclusively obtained by The New York Daily News, the group of 39 Democratic politicians, led by City Comptroller Brad Lander, wrote that Chell’s online screeds violate a provision in city conflict of interest law that prohibits police officials from using government resources, including social media accounts, for political purposes.

The group — which comprises Queens-Bronx Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Westchester County-Bronx Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, 17 Council members and 17 state lawmakers — pointed in particular to a since-deleted post Chell thumbed out Wednesday that claimed Queens Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán “hates our city” and urged his followers to start “getting involved” if they dislike her policies.

“Chief Chell’s bombastic and bullying rhetoric is not only a violation of democratic principles, and the NYC Conflict of Interest Law, it is also dangerous,” the elected officials wrote to Adams. “He is jeopardizing the safety of Councilmember Cabán and her staff. This is unacceptable behavior from a public safety leader of our city.”

The group told Adams that Cabán isn’t the only target of Chell’s activity.

“Chell’s attack on Councilmember Cabán is part of a pattern of bullying, including attacks on reporters Harry Siegel, Errol Louis and Graham Rayman,” the letter continues, referring to how Chell has in recent weeks used his official department X account to name-call and lambaste reporters and columnists at The Daily News and NY1. “While Chell, as an individual, of course has the right to free speech, using his official NYPD account to bully reporters and elected officials reveals contempt for basic democratic principles.”

 

(Siegel writes a column in the Daily News; Rayman is a Daily News reporter, and Louis is an NY1 anchor.)

The politicians capped off their letter to the mayor: “We expect him to be disciplined and instructions delivered to NYPD officials that such behavior will not be tolerated.”

Later Friday, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams added her voice to the calls for punitive action against Chell — and announced she had formally requested that the Department of Investigation launch a probe into the “unethical and unprofessional” social media use by the patrol chief and other NYPD brass.

“This recent behavior undermines public confidence in the department at a time when public safety requires stronger trust, and sends a bad message to the rank-and-file officers of our city simply wanting to perform their basic duties,” the speaker said.

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