The federal government is looking into potential overtime abuse within the NYPD’s elite aviation unit, which has led to the dismissal of NYPD chief Winston Faison.
Lt. Colonel Lakisha Smith, Winston Wright, and Detective Tanesha Facey, who drives for Faison, reportedly accrued up to 20 hours of extra pay each month.
“They really aren’t doing much in terms of training,” one insider noted.
Smith’s salary surged to $185,405 in 2024 from $122,892 the previous year, showing a significant increase due to overtime and additional shifts. Facey’s income rose from $115,923 to $159,249.
Meanwhile, Wright saw his salary climb to $177,654 in 2024 from $135,595 in 2023.
State salary records indicate that none of these individuals are involved in training operations, nor are they licensed pilots. Attempts to reach the three officers went unanswered.
Faison was reassigned last week amid an FAA investigation concerning safety issues within the unit. He has since retired, according to NYPD documents, with Smith filing her retirement papers recently.
This month, the FAA visited the unit’s headquarters to review safety records, including reports of damage worth thousands of dollars during hard landings and hovering drills.
Responding to inquiries about safety and overtime practices, an NYPD spokesperson stated, “This issue is under investigation.”
Police sources reveal that Facey has also earned federal overtime for Air Force rescue training.
Faison reportedly has only a few hundred hours of flight experience, in stark contrast to other unit pilots with thousands of hours logged. Notably, there was an instance where he flew a Bell 429 helicopter without proper documentation in the logbook.
On June 27, Faison took a costly helicopter to Farmingdale Airport on Long Island, where he operates a nonprofit called Aviate4US, aimed at helping young people in the city become pilots. The organization has a contract worth about $20,000 with the city’s Youth and Community Development Department.
Facey accompanied Faison on this trip but was unable to log her flight details correctly.
The FAA is also reviewing safety concerns related to damage incurred during training exercises with Faison at the controls.
A source recalled, “When Faison took off, he announced ‘Fezon Airborne’ over the radio.” However, it was clear to the supervisor on duty that he was not flying solo; the supervisor recorded Facey’s presence in the Master Logbook.
Sources indicate that Faison did not allow this supervisor to depart the city and fly to the airport from the police plaza headquarters, neglecting to log landings accurately, only noting a stop at ISLIP, where the NYPD keeps the surveillance aircraft.
Police sources state that Chief Justin Wright approved the federal overtime payments for his colleagues.
The FBI is now evaluating overtime misuse as part of a broader investigation that was reportedly triggered by allegations regarding overtime assignments connected to inappropriate favors.
“It’s a significant investigation,” noted a law enforcement source.
