4 things to know about the interim NYPD commissioner Tom Donlon

Tom Donlon, a veteran former FBI and counterterrorism official, was appointed as interim commissioner of the New York City Police Department following Edward Caban’s resignation Thursday afternoon.

In a brief virtual announcement, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that Donlon would be stepping into the role immediately. Caban’s resignation comes a week after the FBI descended on the homes of multiple members of the Adams administration – including Caban and his twin brother – searching properties and seizing devices. 

“My goals are clear: continue the historic progress decreasing crime and removing illegal guns from our communities, uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency, and support our dedicated officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe,” Donlon said of his appointment in a statement. 

Here’s four things to know about the interim police commissioner. 

He’s most recently from the private sector – not from within the NYPD

Donlon, a Bronx native, isn’t your typical police commissioner appointee. He’s neither a police officer nor part of the NYPD. Instead, Donlon has experience working in counter-terrorism at the state, federal and international levels. His most recent position is the CEO and co-founder of private security and consulting company Global Security Resolutions. He launched the company in 2020. While the website appeared to be taken down shortly after Donlon was announced as interim commissioner, an archived version of the page describes the New York City-based company as offering services ranging from “TSA-certified Armed Security Officers, and employment services to personal protection and private investigations.”

FBI guy 

Before retiring from the FBI, Donlon was the National Threat Center’s section chief – a position in which he oversaw a multi-agency Global Threat Watch, the FBI Terrorism Watch List and developed and implemented the FBI’s first centralized terrorism threat base called Guardian, according to a biography provided by City Hall. He also served as an assistant special agent in charge of the agency’s New York Counter-terrorism Division and as a supervisor in the FBI’s New York City office. Over the years he investigated a number of counterterrorism cases as a special agent, including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the 1998 East Africa and U.S. Embassy bombings, among other counterterrorism cases.

Donlon’s FBI experience is notable given the Southern District of New York is overseeing the investigation into Caban as well as at least two other inquiries focusing on Adams administration officials. 

Former state homeland security czar

Donlon served as the director of New York’s Office of Homeland Security for roughly a year and a half, departing the position in 2010 to become head of security at BlackRock. In the position with the state Office of Homeland Security, which has since been renamed, he was tasked with directing and coordinating a state-wide counterterrorism strategy. Adams served on the state Senate’s homeland security committee at the time, meaning the two could have come into contact then.

He donated to Adams

Donlon appeared to donate $250 to Adams’ borough president campaign in 2015, according to campaign finance filings. He also seems to have donated $500 dollars to Adams’ mayoral campaign in 2018, listing his occupation as “Regional Director of Security” at Westfield, the mall in the World Trade Center complex.