STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF NEW YORK CITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMMISSIONER JOSEPH ESPOSITO

Friday, December 7, 2018 

The Gay Officers Action League of New York commends the Commissioner of New York City Emergency Management, Joseph Esposito, for his excellent service to the City of New York, his tremendous commitment to the public, and sheer professionalism when faced with adversity. Over the past few days, the outpouring of support for Commissioner Esposito has heartened us, and we join our voice to that chorus.

Our relationship with Commissioner Esposito spans decades and remains strong to this day. Commissioner Esposito's door was always open to GOAL. As the Chief of Department for the New York City Police Department, Commissioner Esposito was a fair arbiter of our concerns and grievances: even at times when GOAL wished for a different result in a dispute over which the Commissioner, we had faith and trust in Commissioner Esposito's judgment and process for resolving issues, and we knew our concerns were always heard.

"I have had a relationship with Commissioner Esposito since my earliest days as a rookie cop," said Brian Downey, GOAL NY's President. "He treated all of us who had the pleasure of working for him and with him like valued contributors to a cause larger than all of us, not simply as subordinates. While GOAL does not dispute any mayor's right to choose the leadership of our City's agencies, we are compelled to speak up over how this story unfolded and the manner in which Commissioner Esposito has been treated this past week."

Commissioner Esposito issued his own statement on the events that transpired, acknowledging that he would be leaving, that he loves his service for the City, and that he would remain in place to ensure a smooth leadership transition at NYCEM. Sheer professionalism.

On behalf of GOAL NY, we say Thank You, Commissioner Esposito.