NYPD names East Meadow native Michael LiPetri as interim chief of department
Michael LiPetri, an East Meadow native and a crime data specialist with the NYPD, has been appointed interim chief of department. Credit: Jeff Bachner
An East Meadow native and crime data specialist has been appointed to the NYPD's top uniformed rank as interim chief of department, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has announced.
Michael LiPetri, 53, a 31-year veteran of the NYPD, takes over from John Chell, who retired, also after 31 years.
LiPetri most recently kept close tabs on police CompStat data as chief of crime control strategies, which drew praise from Tisch in a statement late Wednesday.
He will help supervise some 34,500 uniformed personnel in his new role while also maintaining his job overseeing statistical tools to formulate crime fighting strategies.
"Chief LiPetri is a true crime fighter, and under his leadership, the NYPD has delivered record-low shootings across the city and the safest quarter ever on the subways," Tisch said in her statement. "As interim chief of department, he will continue to lead the NYPD work to reduce crime and disorder and build public trust."
LiPetri’s appointment on an interim basis is expected to trigger a round of musical chair-type changes in the upper ranks of NYPD, even as Mayor Eric Adams' administration winds down before coming to an end on Jan. 1.
Although he wouldn’t comment Thursday, LiPetri told Newsday in a 2019 interview that as a lacrosse player at Nassau Community College, he preferred to "lead from the front" on the field, and tried to do the same as an NYPD chief. LiPetri holds a master's degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and is a graduate of both the Columbia University Police Management Institute and the FBI National Academy, according to Tisch.
In an interview Thursday with Newsday, Chell, who retired on a disability pension, called LiPetri his mentor and the best person to take over the job.
"I enjoyed every minute of it," Chell, 56, said of his role as chief of department. "I am just really proud of the works cop in this department have done.
"The cops are doing it understaffed and overworked, it speaks to the character and fortitude in this department," said Chell, who Tisch named to the top uniformed job in late 2024 after he previously had served as chief of patrol.
During his tenure, Chell's outspokenness led to controversy. He and other NYPD officials were criticized by the city Department of Investigation for sharply worded social media posts critical of members of the City Council and the judiciary. The investigation found some of the posts were "unprofessional."
Chell expressed some pessimism to Newsday about the state of the NYPD going forward in a new administration. He said that some 3,800 officers will be eligible to retire in 2026, and if they feel they are not being supported by City Hall or agencies like the Civilian Complaint Review Board, officers will opt to retire or seek other jobs.
About his decision to retire: "I really had nothing more in the tank," Chell said. "I was tired."
Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.
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