Michael Codd
Born
Michael Joseph Codd

April 16, 1916 (1916-04-16)
West New Brighton, Staten Island
DiedAugust 29, 1985 (1985-08-30) (aged 69)
Elmhurst, Queens
Police career
DepartmentNew York Police Department
Service years1941–1973, 1974–1977
Rank
Commissioner

Michael Joseph Codd (April 16, 1916 – August 29, 1985) was an American law enforcement officer who served as New York City Police Commissioner from 1974 to 1977.

Early life

Codd was born on April 16, 1916, in West New Brighton, Staten Island. He was one of ten children born to Mark and Elizabeth (McLoughlin) Codd, both Irish immigrants.[1] After graduating from St. Peter's Boys High School, Codd worked in a grocery store and eventually became store manager.[2]

Career

Early career

Codd began his law enforcement career with the New York State Police in 1939. In 1941 he joined the New York City Police Department as a probationary officer in the 20th Precinct. Less than a year later he was drafted into the United States Army and served in the military police during World War II, rising to the rank of provost marshal for Western India.[1]

Codd rejoined the NYPD after the war. He was promoted to sergeant in 1949, lieutenant in 1952, and captain in 1959.[2] In 1961 he was named deputy inspector and placed in command of the Brooklyn North Area consisting of the Bedford–Stuyvesant and Brownsville neighborhood.[1]

Chief inspector

In 1970 he was promoted to chief inspector by Commissioner Patrick V. Murphy, who passed over four more senior officers to make Codd the top uniformed officer in the department.[3] Codd was chief inspector during the 1972 Harlem mosque incident and the 1973 Brooklyn hostage crisis.[1][4] He retired from the department on April 16, 1973.[5]

Commissioner

Codd's retirement was short lived as on December 12, 1973, mayor-elect Abraham Beame announced Codd as his choice for police commissioner.[6] Codd planned to have civilians take over more of the non-law enforcement in department and soon after taking office announced he would move 1,000 officers from clerical assignments to street patrol.[7] In November 1974 he fired 19 police officers for accepting a total of $240,000 in payoffs from gamblers.[8] In 1976 he gave Vittoria Renzullo command of the First Precinct in Lower Manhattan, making her the first woman to head a police precinct in New York City.[9]

On June 30, 1975, the NYPD was forced to lay off 5,000 employees due to the city's financial crisis.[10] The following year the department and the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York became locked in bitter negotiations over pay raises and work schedules that saw demonstrations thousands of off-duty officers at police stations and Codd's home.[11] 20 officers were accused of misconduct during the protests and the head of the PBA was fined $7,500 and placed on one-year probation for refusing an assignment and picketing while on duty. The PBA requested amnesty for the officers as part of contract negotiations, but Codd refused.[2][12]

Codd led the department during the New York City blackout of 1977, which saw over 2,000 looting incidents and an estimated $1 billion in losses. The department was criticized for not stopping the looting, however Codd and Mayor Beame contended that there were not enough officers available to stop the looting.[13] The department made a total of 3,777 arrests and 418 officers were injured (18 seriously injured) during the 25-hour blackout.[14]

Codd also led the department during the shooting spree of the Son of Sam, who killed six and wounded seven people between July 29 and July 31, 1977.[15] 300 officers were assigned to the Son of Sam case and Codd rehired 136 officers that had been laid off to assist in the hunt.[16] Following the arrest of David Berkowitz, Codd promoted 25 officers for their work in the case and awarded 193 members of the department certificates of merit.[17]

On September 11, 1977, Codd was admitted to St John's Queens Hospital for exhaustion.[18] He was released on September 17 and returned to work on September 26.[19] Codd announced his resignation on December 1, 1977, to allow incoming mayor Ed Koch to appoint his own commissioner.[10] Upon leaving office, Codd applied for a disability pension under a provision in the "heart bill", which granted benefits to public safety officers who developed heart aliments. The Police Pension Board turned down his request based on the New York City Corporation Counsel's ruling that Codd's years as commissioner didn't count towards his pension.[20] In 1981, the board approved Codd and 113 other "heart bill" pensions after a ruling by the New York Court of Appeals.[21] Codd died on August 29, 1985, at his home in Elmhurst, Queens. He was 69 years old.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "New Top Cop - Street Wise And Cool". New York Amsterdam News. January 12, 1974.
  2. 1 2 3 4 James, George (August 30, 1985). "Michael Codd, Ex-Police Commissioner, Dies". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ Bunrham, David (October 16, 1970). "Codd Takes Over as Top Policeman". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ Hellman, Peter (April 29, 2012). "Last confession: A former NYPD chief on the cop-killer coverup that forced him out". New York Post. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Chief Inspector Codd, 57, Retires From Police Dept". The New York Times. April 17, 1973.
  6. ↑ Schumach, Murray (April 17, 1973). "Codd to Head Police Here; Cawley Planning to Resign". The New York Times.
  7. ↑ "Codd Will Shift 1,000 Officers to Street Patrol". The New York Times. January 7, 1974.
  8. ↑ Raab, Selwyn (November 19, 1974). "Codd Ousts 19 Policemen In $240,000 Bribery Case". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ Schumach, Murray (December 10, 1976). "Police in New York Name First Woman As a Precinct Head". The New York Times.
  10. 1 2 Buder, Leonard (December 2, 1977). "Codd Resigning Post Effective on Dec. 31". The New York Times.
  11. ↑ Raab, Selwyn (October 2, 1976). "Codd, Once Pride of the Force, Now Butt of Police Officers' Ire". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ Raab, Selwyn (January 21, 1977). "Codd Remains Opposed to Amnesty For 20 Officers in Demonstration". The New York Times.
  13. ↑ McFadden, Robert D. (July 16, 1977). "'Disaster' Status Given New York and Wescester to Speed Loans; Services Resume After Blackout". The New York Times.
  14. ↑ Raab, Selwyn (July 16, 1977). "Arrests in Blackout Dwarf '60's Riots". The New York Times.
  15. ↑ McFadden, Robert (August 12, 1977). "'Sam' Suspect Arraigned, Held for Mental Tests". The New York Times.
  16. ↑ Khiss, Peter (August 5, 1977). "136 Policemen Will Be Rehired To Aid Hunt for .44-Caliber Killer". The New York Times.
  17. ↑ Buder, Leonard (August 20, 1977). "25 Win Promotions in 'Son of Sam' Case". The New York Times.
  18. ↑ "Codd in Queens Hospital". The New York Times. September 12, 1977.
  19. ↑ "Codd Leaves Hospital, Plans to Work Sept. 26". The New York Times. September 18, 1977.
  20. ↑ Buder, Leonard (January 19, 1978). "Codd is Turned Down on Pension Request". The New York Times.
  21. ↑ Buder, Leonard (April 25, 1981). "Police Pension Board Votes Heart Payment For Ex-Commissioner". The New York Times.
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