Banks withdrawl?

To the editor:

When asked by reporters if he was leaving the Adams administration, Philip Banks III, the deputy mayor for public safety, responded, “When you tell me who you heard it from, I’ll answer the question.

From his typically opaque response to probing questions from the media, it seems clear that Banks will be off the NYC payroll soon after the New Year. Now the question is “why?" Banks left the NYPD as the highest ranking uniformed officer under a cloud of $300,000 that he refused to account for, and he was a co-conspirator in a high profile police corruption scandal. It appears doubtful that any other government agency anywhere would want to hire him for any position.   

So it is likely that Banks is not leaving for greener pastures; he would be leaving because he was forced to leave. One question might be whether his imminent departure has something to do with the FBI investigation into whether the Adams campaign conspired with members of the Turkish government to receive illegal donations.  

Records obtained by The City news site showed that Philip Banks III, working in a building one block from police headquarters, met with lobbyists from companies that sell law enforcement technologies, including weapons detection and drone surveillance systems. 

Considering the tremendous power that Banks held in the Adams administration, it seems unlikely that Banks would leave voluntarily to enjoy his retirement. The question of whether Banks was forced out, why and how it may affect Mayor Eric Adams.   

Michael J. Gorman