NEW YORK CITY, NY – The NYPD confirmed that Chief of Patrol Fausto Pichardo put in his retirement papers on Tuesday, following friction between him and Mayor Bill de Blasio over the city’s lockdown protests over the past several weeks.
Protests exploded when the area was placed under lockdown again, in the midst of soaring COVID-19 infections.
“Chief of Patrol Pichardo is a deeply respected leader in the NYPD and City Hall is continuing to have conversations with him regarding his future.”
“Chief Fausto Pichardo, the NYPD Chief of Patrol, filed for retirement on Tuesday, ending an accomplished more than two-decade-long career in the New York City Police Department.
“Chief Pichardo, 43, was the first Chief of Patrol of Dominican heritage in NYPD history and has worked tirelessly in recent months to guide the men and women in uniform through a series of challenging issues that have strained the city and the agency.”
Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins said:
“Chief Pichardo was an asset to the NYPD. Sadly, Mayor de Blasio does not and has never valued the talent that exists in the NYPD. Pichardo’s resignation is a loss to the NYPD, the City of New York and the overall Hispanic community.”
Pichardo was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to New York when he was nine. He grew up on the Lower East Side at a time when the neighborhood was considered one of the most dangerous places in the city.He joined the department in July 1999 and rose quickly through the ranks, eventually becoming the precinct commander at the 33rd police precinct in Washington Heights, then commanding officer of the 43rd Precinct in the Soundview section of the Bronx. He was the highest ranking Hispanic officer at the NYPD.Pichardo was named chief of patrol by Commissioner Dermot Shea in December 2019.According to Pix11, he said:“I’m proud to represent Dominicans, Latinos, immigrants, my family. It’s what really makes me proud, having this tremendous opportunity.”In his role, Pichardo oversaw a majority of the force’s 22,000 uniformed police officers, who are assigned to each of the department’s 77 precincts citywide.source:https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/