An NYPD detective who has spent almost two decades in Israel as part of the department’s international liaison initiative has been reassigned, according to recent reports.
Detective Charlie Benaim, a long-serving member of the NYPD, has acted as the department’s representative in Israel since the program’s inception, which was aimed at enhancing security cooperation following the events of September 11, 2001.
Details about Benaim’s departure from Israel are unclear, but sources indicate he has returned to the U.S. after 18 years of service in the region.
An NYPD spokesperson mentioned that the position will be filled soon, stating, “The process is ongoing.”
However, they did not provide any specifics about the reasons for Benaim’s removal.
The international liaison program, which is sponsored by the New York City Police Foundation, had 18 officers stationed across 14 locations worldwide as of last year. It remains uncertain if there have been any shifts in other international postings.
Reportedly, the NYPD had been shutting down offices, including their Toronto bureau, due to tax complications faced by some officers abroad.
Last year, Benaim explained that he had been tasked with collecting intelligence, investigating incidents, and relaying information back to the NYPD to help ensure the safety of New York City. Following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, he coordinated with local Israeli authorities and kept the NYPD informed.
In responding to incidents, he mentioned, “Whenever there is a terrorist attack in Israel, we will respond to the scene,” adding that he relays evaluations back to the department.
His primary aim, he noted, is to “identify these trends and stop them before they can invade our cities.”
NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism, Rebecca Weiner, received updates about the 2023 attack in Israel through a phone call from Benaim while she was visiting Colombia to discuss immigration issues with Mayor Eric Adams.
In 2024, Weiner and Adams revealed plans to broaden the liaison program by sending officers to Tucson, Arizona, and Bogota, Colombia, in an effort to tackle the immigration crisis and the influx of drugs and firearms across the southern U.S. border.
“We’re not going to wait for problems to hit us,” Weiner emphasized then. “It’s our job to protect our city.”
City Hall has opted not to comment.
