The chief in charge of policing on city subways is set to leave the NYPD — as the department scrambles to implement the mayor’s new plan aiming to fix the mental health crisis underground, The Post has learned.
NYPD Transit Chief Jason Wilcox filed for retirement Thursday and will officially leave the department Dec. 30, according to paperwork obtained by The Post.
Safety on the subway system has been a key focus of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration as part of the plan for the city’s return to pre-pandemic life.
But just days into 2022, headlines were dominated by the horrifying murder of straphanger Michelle Go by a mentally unstable homeless man.
What followed through the year was a number of shocking acts of violence, as major felonies surged by more than 30% compared with 2021.
The NYPD has only just recently seen signs of a potential downturn in crime — with a 13.1% dip over the last four weeks as of Sunday, according to statistics released Tuesday.
The mayor and MTA chief executive officer Janno Lieber have latched onto the new figures, touting the downturn earlier this week as early signs that the city and MTA’s plan to flood the underground with cops was working.
But that progress apparently wasn’t enough for Wilcox to save his spot in one of the top NYPD posts, according to sources, who told The Post over the last few days that the chief had been on the chopping block.
Wilcox told The Post the department was going in another direction with Chief Jeffrey Maddrey as Chief of Department.
“The new Chief of Department is picking the team that he wants,” Wilcox said. “That’s just how it goes. I’m good with it and I understand it.
“I’m proud of what I’ve done… I’m not bitter.”
Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell gave him the option of a lower assignment, but the chief said he decided to leave.
The news comes days after Adams’ new mental health directive on dealing with unstable homeless people on subways and city streets got off to a rocky start with NYPD execs scrambling to implement it.
The mayor tried to push back on the notion the department was being “blindsided” by the new plan Thursday while speaking to reporters from Greece — mentioning he had been working with Wilcox.
Two other three-star chiefs also put in their walking papers Thursday: Housing Bureau Chief Kathleen O’Reilly and Special Ops Chief Harry Wedin, according to the paperwork.
O’Reilly was bumped down from chief of patrol earlier this year to housing, which sources described as a demotion.
In addition, Deputy Commissioner of Support Services Robert Martinez will retire, the department announced.
Sewell thanked the officials for their years of service.
“It was a privilege to serve alongside each of them, and I wish them all the best in their future endeavors,” Sewell said in a press release officially announcing their departures.
News of the retirement comes days after Chief of Department Chief Ken Corey left the department and Jeffrey Maddrey jumped to the top uniformed spot in an acting capacity.
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