Eric Adams’ Close Associate, Kaz Daughtry, Tapped For Top Public Safety Gig

Let's hope things work out...

The New York Times reports that Kaz Daughtry, the deputy police commissioner and close friend of Mayor Eric Adams, has been named deputy mayor for public safety.

Known for his avid social media presence, Daughtry will replace former prosecutor Chauncey Parker. Parker resigned in mid-February along with three other deputy mayors after the Department of Justice announced plans to drop corruption charges against Adams.

Daughtry worked as a detective for the NYPD before Adams took over as mayor in 2022. Under his leadership, Daughtry soon rose to prominence in high-ranking positions despite lacking a background in policy, administration, or supervisory experience—unlike Parker. According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Parker started in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office before being named the Deputy Commissioner for Collaborative Policing.

He led initiatives and partnered with fellow law enforcement departments and other agencies during his tenure.

Daughtry’s new position may prompt some backlash. On Jan. 28, a 44-page report highlighted how the accounts of NYPD executives violated city policies, raising concerns of “courtesy and civility,” including Daughtry and NYPD Chief of Department John Chell. The newly nominated deputy mayor was accused of giving mocking nicknames to journalists, alleging that they were spreading false information about the Adams administration’s accomplishments.

In a statement, DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said the city of New York deserves leaders who are more responsible. “New York City deserves public officials who use social media responsibly, to communicate accurate information and to prompt respectful dialogue on issues of importance to the community, and not as a means to ridicule those with whom they disagree,” Strauber said.

State and local leaders, including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, called on Adams to launch an investigation into the internet activity, but the mayor decided to stick beside his friend, calling NYPD “the kindest and the gentlest and the most loving police department on the globe.”

Instead, after an investigation was launched, the Adams administration pushed back, hoping for an additional look into the social media accounts of city council members, saying they hoped the investigation included City Council members as well. “It is clear that a small number of advocates and council members—who have gone unchallenged in using their social media to make disparaging comments against the hardworking public servants of our city—only support speech that is politically convenient for them,” a spokesperson once said.