Terence Monahan to serve as senior city adviser after retiring

NYPD Chief Terence Monahan will serve as a senior adviser at City Hall after he retires as the department’s top uniformed cop, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday.

Monahan, 59, will work with the mayor and new Big Apple “recovery czar” Lorraine Grillo as de Blasio’s senior adviser for recovery, safety, and planning, the mayor said at a press conference.

“This is the greatest city, so for me to continue serving the people of this city and helping to ensure its recovery, is a true honor,” Monahan said, vowing to help the city dig out from the year-long coronavirus lockdown.

“Leaving the NYPD is probably the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life,” Monahan added. “There are truly no words to describe what it means to me to be part of the NYPD’s storied history.”

The mayor also confirmed that Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison will be the new chief of department, as The Post reported Wednesday.

The Post learned Wednesday that Monahan, who held the NYPD’s top uniformed post since 2018, would be stepping down and retiring.

The Bronx-born chief was the 36,000-member department’s 40th top cop after joining the force in 1982 and rising through the ranks.

But Monahan’s department has been under fire for its handling of Black Lives Matter protests after the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked global demonstrations denouncing police brutality.

In January, state Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit claiming Big Apple cops violated the civil rights of protesters and accusing the NYPD of not adequately training officers to handle the unrest.

The lawsuit cited “the mayor and police leadership” for their lack of oversight.

Monahan is expected to be grilled next week by the Civilian Complaint Review Board over police tactics during the protests, sources told The Post.

However, de Blasio maintained during his press briefing Thursday morning that the chief’s retirement was not tied to the Attorney General’s lawsuit.

Harrison, who will be taking over atop the uniformed ranks, has been with the NYPD since 1992, and served in stationhouses in the Bronx and Brooklyn.

He also served in the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau and became the first black chief of detectives when he was promoted to the post in December 2019.