Assistant Chief Charles Dowd, filed for retirement shortly after Bratton transferred him as the head of the city’s troubled 911 system earlier this month, has had his problems with the police department.
Bratton’s move came amid an investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office public corruption unit.
Dowd has had his supporters, although some might term them enablers.
In 1998, Dowd — whose father, then-Deputy Inspector Timothy J. Dowd, played a key role in the capture of David Berkowitz, the famed “Son of Sam” serial killer — was cited for doctoring crime statistics in the 88th Precinct he commanded. His direct superior at the time, Brooklyn North Borough Commander Joe Esposito, called Dowd’s skewed crime numbers “sloppy record keeping.”
Instead of demoting Dowd, then-Police Commissioner Howard Safir transferred him to the 106th Precinct in Queens.
Safir’s successor, Bernie Kerik, in the waning days of his administration in November 2001, promoted Dowd from captain to deputy inspector. Kerik’s move came at the recommendation of Esposito, who had risen to chief of department.
In the following decade, Kerik’s successor, Ray Kelly, promoted Dowd to head the 911 system.
In 2010, Dowd was reprimanded by the city’s Department of Investigation after he was wined and dined by Verizon, which sought a $1 billion city contract to modernize the system.
Before he left the commissioner’s office last year, Kelly promoted Dowd to assistant chief.
