Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry, still a police detective, to retire from NYPD

Graham Rayman and Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News on Dec 10, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

NEW YORK — Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry, who had a meteoric rise in city government under Mayor Adams but attracted his share of criticism, as well, put in his papers Wednesday to retire from the Police Department, with an effective date of Jan. 8, police records show.

Daughtry, who was still technically a detective on loan from the Police Department to City Hall, hits his 20th year with the NYPD on Jan. 9, records show. Cops receive full vesting for pension purposes at 20 years.

During the Adams administration, he rose from detective to NYPD deputy commissioner for operations. In the latter role, he waded into protests, pushed the agency to expand its use of drones and was reported to have coordinated with ICE in a planned immigration raid earlier this year.

Adams appointed him in February as a deputy mayor after Chauncey Parker joined three other deputy mayors in resigning in protest over the administration’s corruption scandals.

In an interview with The News, Daughtry thanked Mayor Adams for “trusting me with such an important responsibility.” He declined to disclose the next step in his career.

“It has been an honor to work alongside the men and women who keep New York City safe every day,” he said. “Looking forward to making up all the time that I missed away from my friends and family. Thank you, NYC.”

Daughtry told The News he has put in for a regular service pension, which will pay him 50% of his salary, mostly tax free. Former Chief of Department John Chell by comparison received the more lucrative accident disability pension in October, which netted him almost $200,000 a year in retirement.

Daughtry joined the NYPD in 2006, rising to detective in 2015. He was appointed an NYPD assistant commissioner in July 2023 and then a deputy commissioner for operations in February 2024.

He earned publicity for expanding the use of drones by the department, but he was also the target of criticism. During the police response to the Gaza protests at Columbia University and City College, he donned tactical gear and was trailed by a videographer.

Later, his characterizing a library book and a bicycle lock found during an occupation of a building at Columbia as somehow terrorism-related sparked derisive commentary in some quarters.

He also negotiated the re-creation of an office for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Rikers Island, a move that drew criticism from advocates. That office never actually opened after a judge blocked the plan in June 2025.

In a report last year, the city Department of Investigation called him and Chell out for misusing social media to attack politicians, journalists and activists.

In one instance, the report said, Daughtry blasted a Daily News columnist by name, calling him a “gadfly” and said it was the “definition of madness to read the column expecting a useful takeaway.”

Chief Chell and Deputy Commissioner Daughtry took the position that such use of social media was necessary to address criticism of the department that they deemed to be unfair or based on misinformation, the DOI report said.