BY SAL GRECO
When the NYPD officially announced that Assistant Chief Aneudy Castillo would become the new Commanding Officer of Patrol Borough Bronx North, it was hardly a surprise to viewers of The Sal Greco Show.
Weeks before the official announcement, The Sal Greco Show reported that Castillo was the likely choice to replace Assistant Chief Benjamin Gurley atop the newly created Bronx North command. Once again, what many dismissed as speculation turned out to be accurate reporting.
According to public reporting by Norwood News, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has selected Assistant Chief Aneudy Castillo to lead Patrol Borough Bronx North, one of the NYPD’s newest and most important borough-level commands. The position oversees some of the busiest and most crime-challenged precincts in New York City. The announcement comes only weeks after the NYPD formally split the Bronx into separate North and South patrol boroughs, a move city officials described as necessary due to the enormous public safety demands placed upon the borough.
Yet Castillo’s appointment is already generating controversy.
Unlike Benjamin Gurley, who developed a reputation among many officers as a serious operational leader focused on crime reduction and field enforcement, Castillo arrives with baggage that critics believe will follow him throughout his tenure.
Castillo’s name has appeared in multiple lawsuits against the City of New York and the NYPD. While allegations in civil lawsuits are only allegations and do not constitute proof of wrongdoing, they nevertheless create public perception problems for an agency already struggling with credibility issues. One federal lawsuit filed in 2025 specifically named Castillo and alleged retaliation and misconduct connected to command decisions within the 34th Precinct. Castillo has not been found liable for those allegations, but his inclusion in litigation is likely to be scrutinized now that he occupies one of the most visible leadership positions in the department.
Questions have also followed Castillo throughout his rise in the department because of his longstanding connections to nightlife enforcement and nightclub-related operations. Critics inside and outside the NYPD have long argued that certain commanders became too comfortable with nightclub owners, promoters, and politically connected business interests. Whether those criticisms are fair or not, the perception exists, and perception matters.
That is why many Bronx residents may be asking a simple question:
Under Benjamin Gurley’s leadership, Bronx North was widely viewed as being run by a commander focused on public safety first. Officers routinely described him as engaged, visible, and serious about crime conditions affecting residents. While every executive has critics, Gurley developed a reputation for focusing on the mission rather than the politics.
Now the NYPD has chosen a different direction.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch is effectively betting that Castillo is the right person, despite the baggage, to lead one of New York City’s most challenging patrol commands. If crime declines and community relations improve, the decision will be vindicated. If controversies continue to follow Castillo into Bronx North, however, critics will point back to this appointment as another example of questionable executive decision-making inside One Police Plaza.
The bigger issue for the NYPD is trust.
For years, New Yorkers have watched executives implicated in scandals, named in lawsuits, investigated internally, or connected to controversial incidents continue climbing the promotional ladder. Whether fair or unfair, many rank-and-file officers increasingly describe the phenomenon as “failing upward.”
That perception is dangerous for morale.
The Bronx deserves leadership focused solely on public safety, quality-of-life enforcement, and reducing violent crime. Residents of neighborhoods stretching from Fordham to Norwood, Bedford Park to Kingsbridge, are less concerned about internal NYPD politics than they are about whether their neighborhoods are safe.
As Aneudy Castillo assumes command of Patrol Borough Bronx North, all eyes will be watching.
The Sal Greco Show reported the Bronx North Patrol Borough roulette weeks before the official announcement. The prediction was correct.
The larger question is whether Jessica Tisch’s choice will prove to be correct as well.
Only time will tell.