NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — New York City’s Department of Investigation launched a probe on Wednesday into allegations leveled against NYPD officials that they violated local laws by publishing what have been criticized as political social media posts, the DOI confirmed.
NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams wrote a letter to the watchdog agency on May 3 calling for an investigation into officials’ social media use, followed three days later by a request from the Legal Aid Society.
“In light of the requests, DOI has begun an investigation of the relevant social media use and exchanges, as well as applicable City policies,” the DOI told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880. As the investigation is ongoing, the DOI declined to provide further comment.
Adams said that the recent use of departmental accounts “diverge from the department’s core mission and responsibilities” and undermine public trust in city agencies, explicitly referencing Chief of Patrol John Chell for violating local laws that say city resources cannot be used for political purposes.
Chell has been scrutinized for posts that include personal diatribes against progressive Queens councilmember Tiffany Cabán. In reaction to a statement she released criticizing the NYPD’s arrests of pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University and City College, he called her stance “garbage” and characterized her as a “person who hates our city.”
“The recent deployment of official NYPD social media accounts to aggressively target public officials and civilians in our city, use dog whistles that can lead to threats and violence, and convey inaccurate information, is dangerous, unethical and unprofessional,” Adams said in a statement.
In its May 6 request, the Legal Aid Society called for an investigation into what it called “unprofessional” and “unethical” uses of social media by the NYPD that “promote knowingly false or misleading statements,” particularly in reference to pro-Palestinian protesters.
The Legal Aid Society welcomed the confirmation of a DOI investigation into this digital police conduct, which on Wednesday it said has “served as a cudgel to spread misinformation, malign protesters, chill future protests.”
In its May 6 letter, the Legal Aid Society also requested a city probe into police’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations, claiming it has led to violation of protester rights and disproportionate use of force. An investigation has not been opened.
While Chell has vowed to remain outspoken on his platforms, the New York Daily News reported that the chief of patrol backed out of a planned Wednesday night appearance at a Republican Party event in Queens.
Mayor Eric Adams was urged by over three dozen elected officials to discipline Chell on Friday, according to a letter obtained by the Daily News
“We call on you to discipline Chief Chell and to make clear that senior NYPD officials may not utilize their official city platforms for personal attacks on elected officials,” the letter, signed by officials including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, City Comptroller Brad Lander and Cabán, said.
The mayor has defended Chell and Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry, who has also been criticized for his social media presence, including a post in which he called a Daily News columnist a “gadfly.”
“He has an opinion, everybody has a right to opinion,” Adams said last month. “If a columnist has a right to an opinion, a police officer shouldn't have a right to his opinion?”
During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, the mayor was asked again about officials' conduct on X, stating that Chell and Daughtry “set the tone for the police department” and that it is “their responsibility to do it and in a manner that's respectful.”
The NYPD did not immediately respond to 1010 WINS/WCBS 880’s request for comment.