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The New York City Police Department placed the besieged former chief of his sergeant’s union on modified assignment, stripping him of his weapon and shield, a day after federal agents raided the union office and his home
NEW YORK – The New York City Police Department on Wednesday placed the beleaguered former chief of its sergeant’s union on a modified mission, stripping him of his weapon and shield, a day after federal agents raided the union office and home.
Ed Mullins resigned Tuesday night as president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association at the behest of its board of directors, hours after FBI agents were seen hauling boxes out of union headquarters in Manhattan . Officers also searched Mullins’ home in Port Washington, Long Island.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Wednesday that the NYPD’s internal affairs office, which investigated the fiery Mullins tweets and other activity, was working with the FBI on the investigation that led to Tuesday’s searches.
“As a result of this work, you saw some of the investigative powers exercised yesterday,” said Shea, declining to comment further as the investigation is ongoing.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that the raids were part of an active investigation, but could not provide details.
Mullins, a police sergeant who had been seconded to the union full-time, reportedly considered retiring from the police service rather than reporting to work on a modified assignment.
Mullins began as an officer in 1982 and was elected union president in 2002. The union represents approximately 13,000 active and retired NYPD sergeants and controls a retirement fund of $ 264 million.
NYPD personnel assigned to a modified assignment, often referred to as clerical duty, are assigned to administrative functions unrelated to the application and must surrender their weapon, shield and service ID, according to the patrol guide. from the NYPD. They are paid as they would be for any other police mission.
Calls to Mullins’ cell phone on Wednesday went to a full voicemail box.
Messages requesting comment were left with a spokesperson for the Sergeants Benevolent Association and Mullins union vice president Vincent Vallelong. Under the union’s constitution, Vallelong is Mullins’ successor as president.
The union board, in a memo to members, said the FBI investigation appeared to be targeting Mullins and had no reason to believe that another union member was involved.
Mullins is in the midst of departmental disciplinary proceedings for tweeting NYPD documents last year regarding the arrest of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s daughter during protests against the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
Mullins’ trial began last month but was postponed after one of his lawyers suffered a medical emergency. It is expected to resume on October 27.
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Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak
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