The NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, known for his fiery temper and past outbursts, has been demoted this week, according to police sources.
Tarik Sheppard, a 21-year veteran of the NYPD, will now serve as an assistant chief and commanding officer at the Interagency Operations Division starting Dec. 26, as per NYPD records.
“That’s definitely a downward move but a soft landing,” commented a police source on Sheppard’s demotion, noting his friendship with Mayor Adams.
The exact reason for his demotion remains unclear, but Sheppard, 48, was involved in a altercation with then-acting Police Commissioner Tom Donlon at the NYC Marathon in November and has had confrontations with the press.
Previously commanding the 28th Precinct in Harlem, Sheppard was appointed as DCPI by former Police Commissioner Edward Caban in August 2023 and brought in additional staff, expanding the office from about 40 employees to 86.
Some of these staff members are also reportedly being reassigned out of the office, according to police sources.
In a controversial move, Sheppard relocated reporters covering the NYPD from their long-standing offices in “The Shack” to a modular building outside police headquarters. While he cited accommodating “ethnic media” as the reason, the space is mainly used by the same journalists who previously worked inside the main building.
Sheppard’s clash with a Post City Hall reporter, whom he called a “f–king scumbag” when contacted for comment on a federal investigation involving city officials, underscored his contentious relationship with the media.
