Upper East Side NYPD Precinct Gets New Commanding Officer

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The police precinct that patrols the Upper East Side has a new commanding officer.

Deputy Inspector Melissa Eger took the reins this week in the NYPD's 19th Precinct, succeeding Kathleen Walsh, who led the 19th for almost three years and is moving to a Brooklyn counterterrorism unit.

Eger most recently led the 122nd Precinct, which covers the South Shore of Staten Island. She began her NYPD career as an officer in Central Brooklyn, later being promoted to sergeant while working Northern Brooklyn.

After moving to Staten Island, Eger became a became a lieutenant at the 123rd Precinct, covering the southern part of the island. She was promoted to executive officer and then commander of the 122nd, where she became a deputy inspector.

Civilians have made eight complaints against Eger in her two-decade career with NYPD, stemming from three separate incidents, according to police misconduct data released to the public last month by the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Of those complaints, one was substantiated by the Civilian Complaint Review Board: an allegation of abuse of authority stemming from a frisk in 2007. The department chose not to discipline Eger for the incident.

Four of the complaints were closed without an investigation; Eger was cleared of wrongdoing in two more; and another was found to be unfounded, meaning the NYPD found the allegation in question did not occur.

Upper East Side— we are pleased to introduce you to the 19th Precinct’s newest Commanding Officer, Deputy Inspector Melissa Eger!

She is eager to meet our amazing community & we can’t wait for you to meet her! pic.twitter.com/eBgU4LddPx
— NYPD 19th Precinct (@NYPD19Pct) September 22, 2020

Eger was also named in at least one lawsuit while working in Staten Island. The lawsuit, brought by a 21-year-old Staten Island woman, alleged that Eger conspired with other officers to falsely arrest her on an assault charge in 2018. The woman withdrew the suit last year.

Crime reports in the neighborhood are down by about 2.8 percent over all compared to this time last year, according to the 19th Precinct's latest data. Reports of rape, felony assault and grand larceny have all decreased, while reports of burglary, robbery and car theft have gone up.

Maya Kaufman contributed to this report.