NEW YORK — Haitian American former NYPD lieutenant Edwin Raymond, who gained nationwide consideration for talking out towards police quotas and misconduct contained in the division, has been appointed the brand new sheriff of New York Metropolis by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The appointment marks a significant second for Raymond, a Brooklyn native and son of Haitian immigrants whose profession shifted from police officer to one of many metropolis’s most seen voices on police accountability and reform.
“Edwin Raymond represents the type of public servant New Yorkers deserve: principled, brave and deeply dedicated to justice,” Mamdani stated in an announcement saying the appointment.
Raymond most not too long ago served because the nation’s first social justice liaison within the New York State Lawyer Normal’s Workplace, the place he labored on points tied to regulation enforcement accountability and public belief.
Earlier than that, he spent 15 years within the NYPD, serving in Brooklyn precincts and later rising to lieutenant and commanding officer in Brooklyn North Neighborhood Affairs earlier than retiring in 2023.
Raymond turned broadly identified after publicly criticizing quota-driven policing practices inside the NYPD, changing into one of many division’s most acknowledged whistleblowers throughout nationwide debates over policing reform. His advocacy earned him assist from civil rights teams and public officers, together with recognition from organizations together with the NAACP.
Raymond’s efforts to problem policing practices and advocate for accountability inside the department- work that helped elevate his profile nationally amongst reform advocates.
“Rising up in East Flatbush because the son of Haitian immigrants, I skilled each the general public security challenges dealing with working-class communities and the inequities that too typically undermine belief in authorities,” Raymond stated.
“I sit up for persevering with that work as sheriff by serving to construct a safer, fairer and extra accountable metropolis for all New Yorkers.”
As sheriff, Raymond will oversee tasks tied to courtroom enforcement, property seizures, tax enforcement and operations focusing on unlawful companies, together with unlicensed hashish outlets. The workplace operates underneath New York Metropolis’s Division of Finance.
New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James praised the appointment, saying Raymond had persistently pushed for “security, equity and accountability” all through his profession.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams additionally described Raymond’s appointment as a major second for reform advocates.
“It’s superb to see his journey — from being pushed apart for demanding accountability and justice in policing, to management in the identical area,” Williams stated.
Raymond attended John Jay School of Legal Justice and joined the NYPD at age 22. He first labored in Transit District 32 and the 77th Precinct earlier than rising by way of the ranks.