An investigation involving federal authorities has reached the senior ranks of the largest police force in the United States. According to the report, federal agents and police officers were spotted this morning outside the home of the New York Police Department's highest ranking uniformed officer, drawing attention to a probe that reaches into the leadership of the department.
Sources cited by the broadcaster described what the inquiry is focused on. According to the report, the investigation is looking into promotions and assignments within the department and how exactly they were carried out. The questions center on the internal decisions that determine which officers move up and where they are placed.
The concerns were linked to a specific former official. According to the report, under Jeffrey Maddrey there were questions about how promotions were meted out and how assignments were given out, and whether there were any quid pro quos involved in those decisions. Those questions form part of what investigators are now examining.
The inquiry is being conducted jointly and reaches several figures. According to the report, this is a joint NYPD and FBI investigation that is targeting Maddrey, the department's former top spokesman, and current and former officials. No one has been arrested yet, but federal prosecutors from Manhattan are also involved in the matter.
The department has framed the investigation as part of a deliberate effort rather than something to be hidden. According to the report, the police commissioner issued a statement this morning saying this is what she wants, describing a commitment to root out any potential corruption from the department and to do things a different way.
The stated goal is to change how internal decisions are handled going forward. According to the report, the commissioner said she wants to make sure that promotions and assignments are meted out properly, as part of a broader pledge to run the country's largest police department with integrity. Investigators have not announced any charges at this stage.