NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Employee Relations Maria Otero sat in her office at One Police Plaza in Lower Manhattan, reflecting not only on her career but also on her life and how it led her to a major leadership role in the county’s largest police force.
Otero is notable in that she is not a sworn officer, but a civilian who has spent her career supporting and caring for those behind the badge. She joined the NYPD in 1992 as a Police Administrative Aide (PAA) and is the first person in the department’s history to rise from that civilian rank to Deputy Commissioner. Blazing that trail, however, was not easy.
Otero moved to the Big Apple from Puerto Rico when she was just two years old with her mother and siblings, settling in Brooklyn. Despite being a single parent, her mother joined the NYPD Auxiliary Program, a volunteer branch of the department.
“What she decided to do was join the police department as an auxiliary officer, because she wanted to be a part of the department that could provide safety for her and her young children,” Otero recalled. “That definitely impacted my siblings and I.”
While her brother went on to join the NYPD as a police officer, later becoming a Lieutenant, she took on the role of a PAA, serving as a link between cops and the public. She joined just two years after the homicide rate became the highest on record, making her feel as though her support system was more crucial than ever.
“Crime in the late 80s and early 90s was significantly high, so the vision was to join as a police officer, but then I immediately saw that I could make a difference to the community by making a difference to the officers that serve the community,” Otero said. “I understood a little bit more of the inside of the department, and for me, it became very, very important to do anything that I could to support the department from within and the officers from within.”
While her initial plan was to also become a police officer like her brother, she began forging her own path, moving to other precincts and swiftly earning promotions, until she joined the NYPD Personnel Bureau, which manages human resources for uniformed and civilian members. Just two weeks after stepping into that role, the Sept. 11 attacks occurred. What was expected to be largely administrative work quickly became something far more urgent and personal.
“So seeing the other side, the inside of the department, as far as when officers were dealing with the loss…This year is the 25th anniversary of 911 and everyone realizes we had the original 23 that unfortunately were killed that day on 911 but since then, we have had hundreds of police officers, members of the service, pass away and deal with health issues related to the effects of 911 and the toxins during that time. This is something that is very personal to me as well,” Otero said.
“My brother, John, at the time, was the morgue supervisor during 911 and it was a very difficult time identifying people. Since his 40s, he’s been going through major health issues due to the effects of 911,” Otero added.
The impact of 9/11 continues to shape Otero’s work today in her role as deputy commissioner. Nearly 25 years later, many members of the service continue to fall ill — and in some cases die — from cancers and other conditions linked to the toxic exposure following the attacks. Otero now oversees a support system that helps affected officers and their families access the health benefits, care, and resources they need after responding to the deadliest crisis in the city’s history.
“Unfortunately, because of cancer and other diseases and other related sicknesses, we are there to guide them, because it is a very, very complex system,” Otero said. “It’s hard because they have already had other people lose their lives because of similar cancers and other diseases.”
As Otero has grown with her tenure with the NYPD, her roles have consistently aligned with one core mission: being someone officers can turn to in their most difficult moments. Whether responding to illnesses, serious injuries, or mental health crises, Otero has worked to ensure that department members have the support systems they need.
That commitment also extends to mental health — an area that became an urgent priority after a tragic year in 2019 when 10 officers died by suicide. In response, expanded resources and programs were developed to address officer wellness, something Otero says remains central to her department’s work.
Otero stresses that the focus is ultimately on well-being, ensuring officers and their families have access to care, counseling, and support during the most challenging times of their lives. As the Deputy Commissioner of Employee Relations, she focuses on morale enhancement and employee engagement, promoting the health and well-being, family support for fallen/seriously injured/ill officers, and liaison to the Department’s more than 35 fraternal, religious, and ethnic organizations.
“That’s why this bureau is critical to the well-being. The way that I see it is the department as a whole we take a holistic approach that the healthier an officer is, a member of service is mentally, physically, and spiritually, not only is it beneficial for them and their family, but for the entire community that we serve,” Otero said.
Otero’s family history is rooted in service after her mother once volunteered to help safeguard her family and neighborhood. Today, Otero honors that legacy—working every day to ensure the people of the New York City Police Department are supported and protected as they serve the city —an irony not lost on her.
“For me, this is the ultimate assignment, I know the significance and the importance,” Otero said. “It’s a privilege to be on the inside, to be able to provide that support.”
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