Louis Molina, Las Vegas Public Safety Chief, Expected to Lead N.Y.C. Jail System
The New York Times
Mr. Molina, a former N.Y.P.D. officer and Correction Department official, will be tasked with restoring order at the troubled Rikers Island jail complex.
Mayor-elect Eric Adams is expected to name Louis A. Molina, a former New York City police officer who currently oversees a public safety department in Las Vegas, to be commissioner of the city’s embattled Correction Department, according to three people familiar with the plans.
The post is likely to be among the most challenging in Mr. Adams’s administration as the new mayor confronts a crisis of violence and disorder that has crippled Rikers Island, the city’s main jail complex. Mr. Molina would be the second person appointed to the role in just over six months.
Mr. Molina, who would become one of the highest-ranking Hispanics in city government, is expected to be tasked with immediately improving conditions inside the jail complex after months of chaos. He will also be faced with restoring relations with correction officers who have effectively revolted against the city’s current leadership during the pandemic.
