NYPD Patrol Borough Brooklyn South Chief Thomas M. Chan has been promoted to head up the department’s Community Affairs Bureau. The appointment comes almost two years after he was tapped as commanding officer of Brooklyn South, which oversees all the precincts roughly south of Flatbush Avenue.
Chan, 55, replaces Chief Philip Banks III, who was himself promoted to Chief of Department on March 27.
Chan is a 31-year veteran who, since July 2011, has “worked closely with residents and elected leaders to reduce violent crime, resulting in a 31% decline in murders in his command last year, driven by a 28% reduction in shootings and a 24% decline in shooting victims,” said NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly.
“Fluent in three languages and an accomplished police executive, Chief Chan has demonstrated throughout his career the ability to build bridges between the Police Department and New York City’s richly diverse communities. Now, as the Chief of the Community Affairs Bureau, he will continue this important work, in addition to overseeing the NYPD School Safety Division, which alone employees 5,000 school safety agents,” Kelly added.
Chan has also served as commanding officer of the School Safety Division. His new role will see him overseeing the Juvenile Justice Division, which includes the Youth Services Section and the Juvenile Enforcement Coordination Section, the Community Affairs New Immigrant Outreach Unit, and the Crime Prevention Section.
Chan has worked in precincts across Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, and Queens.
He has a degree in Hospital Administration from St. John’s University.
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