Chief of Department

John M. Chell

Chief John M. Chell’s career with the NYPD started in 1994. Upon graduation from the Police Academy, he was assigned to the 67th Precinct, where he performed various assignments, earning him a promotion to Detective in 2000, along with the Medal of Valor.

His leadership in the department started in 2001 with his promotion to Sergeant, serving in the 46th Precinct and then the 67th Precinct in 2002, Brooklyn South Auto Larceny Unit in 2003, and the Brooklyn South Narcotics Bureau, also in 2003. He quickly rose to the rank of Lieutenant the following year, serving in the 67th Precinct before being named the Commanding Officer of the Patrol Borough Brooklyn South Auto Larceny Unit in 2005, and Squad Commander of the 62nd Precinct Detective Squad in 2009.

Chief Chell’s hard work and dedication led to his promotion to Captain in 2010. He served as Executive Officer in the 60th Precinct before leading the Patrol Borough Brooklyn South Pattern Task Force in 2011. He was then named Commanding Officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South’s Specialized Units, which included plainclothes teams, Evidence Collection, and Auto Crime.

His crime-fighting skills were fully displayed when he was made Commanding Officer of the 61st Precinct in 2012. Chief Chell’s strong efforts in driving down crime and working hand-in-hand with the community were recognized with a promotion to Deputy Inspector in 2014 while serving as the Commanding Officer of the 79th Precinct, and again in 2016 with a promotion to Inspector, leading the 75th Precinct, one of New York City’s busiest commands.

In 2019, with 25 years of dedicated service, he was promoted to Deputy Chief and assigned to oversee Detective Borough Brooklyn South, followed by Detective Borough Brooklyn North in 2021. While assigned there, he was tasked with direct oversight of all criminal investigations by members of Brooklyn Detective Squads, Gang Division, and Narcotics Squads. He also established a Borough-wide Video Enhancement Team, which assisted with investigations through the enhancement of video compilations.

In the summer of 2022, Chief Chell was made the Executive Officer of the Patrol Services Bureau, and by the end of the year, he was promoted to Chief of Patrol. While there, he governed 8 patrol boroughs comprised of 78 police precincts and oversaw 15,000 uniformed and 3,000 civilian members of the service, the largest of any bureau. He assisted in the creation of Compliance Stat, and the Community Response Team, who are tasked with addressing high crime areas and firearms reduction. He also worked with Mayor Adams to link the community together with elected officials, members of the department, and other city agencies to solve complex and chronic quality of life conditions.

Now, with over 30 years of experience driving down crime in New York City, Chief Chell was promoted to Chief of Department during a New Year’s Eve ceremony in Times Square. As the highest-ranking uniformed member of the NYPD, he is again showing his dedication to public safety and leading the way toward taking crime to all-time lows with his principles of strength and honor to continue making New York City the safest big city in America.

Chief Chell is a lifelong New York City resident. Born in Brooklyn, he moved to Staten Island in 2015, where he has resided ever since. He is a graduate of Xaverian High School and has earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Josephs College, where he majored in Organizational Management. His rock has always been his wife, Stephanie, with whom he shares four beautiful children.