ONE POLICE PLAZA — Police Commissioner Bill Bratton appointed a new No. 2 just days after he drew fire for the abrupt resignation of Philip Banks III, the city's highest-ranking police official.
Banks was set to be appointed first deputy commissioner, but rejected the offer at the last minute because he viewed the role as an attempt to sideline him with fewer operational responsibilities.
Benjamin Tucker, the NYPD's deputy commissioner of training, whose resume includes a stint with the Obama administration, is now set to take over.
Bratton insisted that the role was not one of a figurehead.
"The idea there's a figurehead in there, that's figment of your imagination," he said during the announcement on Wednesday. "I'm sorry, the first deputy police commissioner of the city of New York is an extraordinarily and impactful position and with my style of leadership, it will be even more so.
"It might end up being even more powerful that at any time in history going forward."
Banks' resignation sparked speculation that there was a rift between Mayor Bill de Blasio and Bratton. The first lady, Chirlane McCray supported Banks for police commissioner.
But both the mayor and police commissioner insisted that everything was fine between them.
Tucker joined the NYPD as a trainee in 1969 before climbing the ranks, according to his online biography. He held high-level positions with several city agencies — including the Civilian Complaint Review Board — while on leave from the department before retiring in 1991.
He was appointed by President Bill Clinton to work in the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at the U.S. Department of Justice in 1995 and was confirmed as a deputy director at the Office of National Drug Control Policy under the Obama administration in 2010.
He also worked under Mayor Michael Bloomberg starting in 2002, when he was appointed as the head of School Safety and Planning for the Department of Education, his biography says.
Bratton brought Tucker back to the NYPD as the Deputy Commissioner for Training, a civilian position, in January.
"He has an intimate understanding of crime, drug abuse, youth and the law. These areas make up the essential challenges now facing the New York City Police Department at this time," Bratton said Wednesday, calling Tucker "an extraordinary leader."
Sources say that promoting Tucker and expanding his oversight to include other non-operational arenas, such as legal matters, discipline and administration, should satisfy critics over Banks' resignation.
"Tucker's choice will certainly calm the waters," one former top police official predicted. "None of the rank and file can complain because he once was a cop."
Another former top official said that Tucker's experience working for "two Presidents, one of them Obama, should go a long way to make minority communities accept that Chief Banks is no longer around."
Banks, who had been the highest ranking uniformed African-American in the NYPD, said the first deputy job would have taken him away from "the police work and operations that I love so much."
His resignation sparked criticism from elected officials and community groups worried about a lack of diversity in the department's leadership positions.
In a statement, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said she was "pleased" with Tucker's appointment.
"The makeup of NYPD’s top officials must reflect the full diversity of New York City as we seek to strengthen police-community relations which for too long have been strained," she said.
Tucker called his appointment "a dream come true."
"I love this department. I kind of grew up in this department," he said. "This department gave me opportunities I probably would never have had as a kid from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. As I think about it and look back, it's been an extraordinary journey."
