Mayor Eric Adams has justified his decision to appoint his younger brother as a deputy commissioner in the New York City police department, saying that he wants someone he can trust in a role that will involve handling his security.
"My brother understands me," Adams told reporters on Sunday following an unrelated press conference at Bellevue Hospital. "And if I have to put my life in someone's hands, I want to put it in the hand of the person I trust deeply, because that is a very personal process of your security."
He said the appointment was undergoing review from the city's Conflicts of Interest Board, which he said will make the final determination.
Sunday marked the first time Adams addressed reports from Friday that his brother Bernard Adams, a 56-year-old retired NYPD sergeant, was being tapped to be a deputy commissioner. The news came shortly after Philip Banks, a former top NYPD police chief with a controversial history, revealed in a Daily News op-ed that he would be the city's next deputy mayor for public safety.
Mayor Adams faced criticism about both appointments, which raised questions about nepotism and cronyism. Banks resigned in 2014 after being under federal investigation for a bribery scandal. His brother, David Banks, is the new city's school chancellor. Meanwhile, Sheena Wright, who is the latter's domestic partner, is serving as the deputy mayor for strategic initiatives.
Asked about the selection of Banks despite a past that some experts said would prohibit him from receiving a top security clearance, Adams said Philip Banks had brought down crime and "reined in" the abuse of stop-and-frisk during his time as the chief of department, the highest-ranking uniformed position.
"I'm going to pick the best people to do the job to keep this city safe," he said, adding, "Phil is the best person for this job."
The mayor's reasoning was similar to his brother's appointment, which drew attention from national news outlets.
Speaking on CNN on Sunday, Adams cited the rise in hate crimes as a reason he was especially concerned about his security. The mayor, who has at times traveled without security, said he still wanted to remain approachable with the public. "I need that right balance," he said. "My brother has a community affairs background, the balance that I need. He understands law enforcement."
Bernard Adams spent two decades in the NYPD. According to his LinkedIn, he most recently served as an assistant director of operations for parking and transportation at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Jeffrey Fagan, a law professor at Columbia University who studies policing, described the appointment as nepotism. "A parking administrator in a rural southern university has neither the experience nor qualifications for the position," he said. "It’s hard to imagine that there is not a more well-qualified law enforcement professional in New York City or the nation."
