Investigators Search N.Y.P.D. School Safety Offices in Bribery Inquiry

The search, and the seizure of a police official’s phone, were part of a welter of federal investigations into Mayor Eric Adams and his inner circle.

Federal agents searched the offices of the Police Department’s School Safety Division on Thursday as part of an inquiry into a possible bribery scheme involving city contracts, one of four federal investigations swirling around Mayor Eric Adams, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The agents also seized the cellphone of the School Safety Division’s former commanding officer in actions related to a company called SaferWatch, which sells panic button systems to schools and police departments around the United States, the people said.

The bribery investigation has focused on a consulting firm run by the brother of two top officials in the Adams administration who both resigned in the weeks after the mayor was indicted last month in a separate federal corruption investigation.

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The consulting firm, the Pearl Alliance, counted SaferWatch among its clients. It was formed by Terence Banks, a retired subway supervisor, in 2022. At the time, his older brothers, Philip B. Banks III and David Banks, were the deputy mayor for public safety and schools chancellor, respectively, two of the highest-ranking officials in the mayor’s administration.

In early September, federal agents and city investigators seized the phones of all three men, as well as the phones of other top administration officials — including Sheena Wright, the former first deputy mayor and wife of David Banks. Philip and David Banks and Ms. Wright all resigned in the weeks after the phone seizures.

SaferWatch did not have a foothold in New York City contracting before 2023, city records show. The Police Department subsequently conducted a small $67,000 pilot program with SaferWatch and decided not to move forward with its service.

A company spokesman could not be reached for comment on Thursday night. The search by federal agents was earlier reported by The New York Post.

The actions on Thursday came a day after The New York Times reported on yet another investigation into members of the mayor’s inner circle — conducted by the office of the Manhattan district attorney and the city’s Department of Investigation.

The bribery investigation concerning city contracts is being conducted by the United States attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, the same office that indicted Mr. Adams on corruption charges, and the city’s Department of Investigation. Representatives of the two agencies declined to comment.

The former commanding officer of the Police Department’s School Safety Division whose phone was seized on Thursday was placed on modified assignment, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

The inspector, Kevin L. Taylor, could not immediately be reached for comment. The leader of the union that represents him also could not be reached for comment.

Representatives of the two agencies and the Police Department declined to comment.