Top NYPD Chief to Retire after Mayor Ends Re-Election Bid

NYPD Chief of Department John Chell is finalizing his retirement plans and is expected to go on a morning radio talk show later this week to discuss his plans for the future, according to sources.

Oct. 6, 2025

3 min read

What to know

NYPD Chief of Department John Chell is preparing to retire, possibly this week, after a controversial tenure as the city’s top uniformed officer, according to multiple sources.
Chell, a longtime ally of Mayor Eric Adams, plans to apply for a disability pension linked to an on-duty ankle injury that would pay 75% of his $276,000 salary tax-free.
His expected exit follows months of speculation and comes amid political turmoil surrounding Adams and scrutiny over Chell’s public statements, political activity and ties to President Donald Trump.

NYPD Chief of Department John Chell is planning to retire on the heels of Mayor Eric Adams ending his re-election campaign.

NYPD Chief of Department John Chell has told close associates he’s planning to put in his papers to retire soon, possibly as early as this week, after an at times tumultuous tenure as the city’s top uniformed cop, sources with knowledge of the move told the Daily News.

Rumors about Chell’s departure have swirled since summer 2024, but he stayed on as chief of patrol when Jessica Tisch took over as police commissioner last year in the wake of her predecessor, Edward Caban, resigning after being ensnared in a federal corruption investigation.

But two sources familiar with the matter said Chell is now finalizing his retirement plans. The sources said he plans to seek a disability pension that would provide him with a tax-free, lifetime benefit equal to 75% of his salary. He’s applying for the disability pension because of an ankle injury he sustained on Randalls Island while on duty last year, the sources said.

Chell was as of last fiscal year pulling in a $276,000 annual salary.

Chell didn’t immediately return a request for comment Monday. Spokespeople for the NYPD and Mayor Adams’ office didn’t immediately respond to messages, either.

A source confirmed Chell is expected to go on conservative talk radio host Sid Rosenberg’s morning show Wednesday to discuss his plans for the future.

A prominent and at times controversial ally of Adams, Chell has long been rumored to be considering a job in right-wing media, as previously reported by The News.

Chell’s exit comes on the heels of Adams ditching his bid for reelection after facing pressure for weeks from President Trump’s team and others to drop out to help clear the field against Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani, who has a history of being critical of the NYPD.

For months, Chell has been eyeing retirement, but a source close to him said he wanted to wait to pull the trigger until the situation became clearer around Adams, whose reelection run was considered a long shot amid continued fallout from his corruption indictment and ties to Trump.

Chell, who has landed in hot water for his own ties to Trump, joined the NYPD on Feb. 28, 1994 and rose to the agency’s highest uniformed post on Jan. 1, with his promotion ceremony taking place on New Year’s Eve in Times Square. When Jeffrey Maddrey quit as chief of department while under investigation for a range of misconduct, including exchanging overtime for sex with a subordinate, Tisch promoted Chell to the top uniformed spot.

Chell was instrumental in creating a special unit which focused on auto-related crimes, though a series of fatal pursuits, prompted Tisch earlier this year to order policy changes.

At times, Chell has also been controversial for his public remarks, especially in 2024 when the city Department of Investigation found his social media posts slamming department critics and journalists to be improper. Chell courted controversy for wading into politics, too, such as when he planned and then ultimately canceled a speech at a Queens Republican club while openly signaling support for Trump, including by appearing in full uniform on the right-wing network Newsmax last year.

This past summer, Chell and Kaz Daughtry, Adams’ top public safety deputy at City Hall, golfed with Trump at the president’s club in New Jersey and posed for photos with him, flashing thumbs up.

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