MOTT HAVEN — The 40th Precinct is getting a new commanding officer in the wake of a scandal at the squad centered on underreporting crime statistics.
Deputy Inspector Carlos Valdez will replace Deputy Inspector Lorenzo Johnson, who was transferred after an audit revealed that officers at the precinct had been improperly processing crime complaints during a four-month period in 2014, according to the NYPD.
Johnson did not respond to a request for comment. His new assignment is unclear.
Valdez, a 25-year NYPD veteran, previously worked at the 61st Precinct in Brooklyn, where he was commanding officer of the borough's Sheepshead Bay and Gravesend neighborhoods
He has also served in The Bronx at Transit Districts 3, 11 and 12, as well as in the NYPD's Housing Bureau and Emergency Service Unit.
Valdez joined the NYPD in 1990 and was promoted to sergeant in 1998, lieutenant in 2003, captain in 2008 and deputy inspector in 2013. He could not be reached for comment.
The 61st Precinct has so far experienced fewer murders, rapes, shootings, robberies and felony assaults than the 40th Precinct this year, but it has dealt with more burglaries, grand larcenies and auto thefts, according to NYPD statistics.
An audit of the 40th Precinct revealed 55 cases where officers failed to correctly process complaints, mainly for petit larceny, lost property, misdemeanor assault, criminal mischief and criminal trespassing, according to the NYPD.
One lieutenant, eight sergeants, nine police officers and one detective now face departmental charges for underreporting the crimes, police said.
The 40th Precinct is not the only South Bronx precinct with a departing commanding officer this summer. Deputy Inspector Steven Ortiz is leaving the neighboring 42nd Precinct for a position at the Chief of Department's office. He will also be replaced by an officer from Brooklyn, Capt. James Ryan of the 94th Precinct.
Maria Vega, recording secretary of the 40th Precinct's Community Council, said she was sorry to see Johnson go.
She said they had worked together on several events for the community, such as turkey and toy giveaways, and that despite the controversy surrounding the precinct’s crime statistics, she only ever had good interactions with him.
"I just know what I deal with, and what I deal with, it’s always been a positive thing," she said. "That’s all I can say. All the support that I have gotten from him and Community Affairs has been amazing."
Rafael Pizarro, who lives in the precinct and said he worked with Johnson on events like National Night Out, was also disappointed to see him leave.
He was shocked to hear about the precinct's issues with crime stats and said he did not think the NYPD should have reassigned Johnson.
"I think he did an excellent job to try to serve the community the best he could," Pizarro said, adding, "Johnson was a good dude."
