Good afternoon! These days, there’s a reality show for everything — extreme couponing, judging if things are not cake, even selling real estate in nudist communities.
So if you can put just about any human activity in front of cameras, why not policing? As it turns out, that very question made its way deep into City Hall last year, driving a wedge between Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and ultimately sparking a legal battle with all the drama and intrigue of its own Netflix unscripted.
Last year, Mayor Adams and his allies in the NYPD greenlit the production of a behind-the-scenes docu-series that followed the much-maligned Community Response Team. “Behind the Badge” began filming in April 2025, with camera crews arriving at crime scenes and shadowing officers without a finalized city contract and against the express wishes of Commissioner Tisch.
The show was produced by Jordan McGraw and hosted by his father, celebrity psychologist Dr. Phil. According to top elected officials, the show’s creators got approval directly from Mayor Adams, bypassing the city’s typical review process.
In mid-January, newly-elected Mayor Mamdani sued the show’s production company to block the release of the footage on the grounds that it endangered undercover officers, witnesses and victims. “Encrypted police communications are discussed,” the suit contends. “Sensitive and confidential policing techniques are discussed at length.” The judge in the case has yet to issue a final ruling.
I’d say the first mistake was trying to go behind the scenes. Can I interest anyone in 20 seasons of Love Island: NYPD?
Rockrose Development lines up $100M to buy the full city block where the former Long Island College Hospital campus once stood.
After a judge granted bail to Allan Marrero, a Brooklynite taken into DHS custody at a routine immigration hearing in November, DHS put a stay on his release to keep him held in a detention center in Mississippi.
AG James secured a $17.85 million settlement from Bausch Health and Lannett Company for a years-long conspiracy to inflate prices and curb competition for generic drugs.
At least 13 people died of hypothermia since a Code Blue began on Jan. 19. The city Department of Homeless Services is expanding warming options as another freezing week looms.
Phone thefts are spiking at Brooklyn venues, with fans reporting missing devices after shows at Brooklyn Paramount in Downtown and Brooklyn Storehouse in Brooklyn Navy Yard.
A teacher at Canarsie’s P.S. 276 was arrested on Monday for allegedly pushing a 10-year-old student to the ground.
The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir won its seventh Grammy Award on Sunday, as the Best Roots Gospel Album for “I Will Not Be Moved: Live with The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.”
Our World In Photos
Photo: Fatima Shbair/AP
ITALY — Is this her last? Forty-one year old American skier is a legend who has overcome numerous surgeries: United States' Lindsey Vonn smiles during a press conference by the U.S. ski team at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026.
For more pictures like this, see Our World in Photos.
Former Billy Joel drummer Liberty DeVitto on his decades-long tenure with iconic songwriter
Liberty DeVitto. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Wayne Daren Schneiderman
One would never guess that the unassuming, down-to-earth Liberty DeVitto once sat in the drum throne for one of the biggest and most successful artists of all time.
Known for his big feel, deep pocket and tasteful fills rather than flashy technical prowess, DeVitto is known by many as “the American Ringo Starr.”
DeVitto spoke to the Brooklyn Eagle about his meeting, decades-long tenure and ultimate breakup with Joel, in addition to their reconciliation, DeVitto’s plans and his love for the borough of Brooklyn.
The Mini
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Cartoon Sketchbook
By Dave Whamond
For the Road
See some sketches: The Pratt Institute’s School of Architecture is set to open a new exhibition of contemporary architectural sketches this week, exploring how the discipline is evolving in an increasingly high-tech world. Learn more on our website.
Happy Birthday to“Despacito” singer Daddy Yankee!
On This Day in 1959, rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Mason City, Iowa. The tragedy was immortalized as “the day the music died” in Don McLean’s 1971 song “American Pie.”
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