Chelsea’s 10th Pct Commander Said to be Heading to East Side

In the latest movement of precinct commanders, sources tell Chelsea News that the commanding officer who has been heading the 10 Precinct for just under three years will soon be heading to the East Side to take over the 13th precinct that covers Stuyvesant Town, Gramercy Park and Union Square.

Captain Robert Gault, a 25 year veteran came to the 10th Precinct, which covers Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen and the Hudson Yards neighborhoods, as commanding in September, 2020 after serving as a commanding officer in Times Square. He been been a captain for 11 years.

The Daily News’s Rocco Paracandola reported recently that Gault had been slapped with departmental charges when, after playing bagpipes at a funderal for an NYPD friend on March 4, 2022, he stopped at Chelsea Restaurant Italiano while on duty where he was joined by Lt. Marlene Hernandez, also from the 10th precinct. According to the Daily News, he pleaded guilty at a departmental hearing in December to drinking on duty, failure to supervise a subordinate and conducting personal business on city time and was docked 20 vacation days.

Hernandez was docked 10 vacation days and in December was reportedly transferred to the evidence collection team. Police at the time told the Daily News the transfer was unrelated to the incident.

The 13th precinct is considered one of the safest districts in Manhattan thanks in large part to the Peter Cooper Village Stuyvesant Town public safety force which patrols the 110 building in the 80 acre compound 24/7.

Gault could not be reached for comment. An NYPD spokesperson did not exactly shoot down the widespread speculation that Gault was about to move. “Captain Robert Gault is assigned to the 10th Precinct currently. After he is assigned to another command, his new assignment will be made public.”

A week ago, DCPI would not confirm the scoop on our sister publications Our Town and West Side Spirit that deputy inspector William J. “Bill” Gallagher, the Commanding Officer of the Central Park precinct, would be marching across the park to become the permanent commanding officer of the 19th Precinct on the Upper East Side, where he had previously been posted as a second in command captain. He replaces Captain Anthony Lavino, who had been the acting commanding officer and remains at the 19th remains as the precinct’s Executive Officer

If and when Gault moves, it will mean at least four precincts in Manhattan will be without commanding officers: the 10th Pct, the Central Park, the 6th Precinct which covers Greenwich Village and Mid-Town South based on W. 35th St which covers Hell’s Kitchen.