If the borough commander insists on seeking charges, the trustee's next stop is the first deputy commissioner's office.

"It was used only in cases where the borough commander could not go to the crime scene," Ms. Trazoff said.

In addition, 18 field units answer to borough commanders and heads of bureaus.

I don't think the borough commanders would permit that.

Or better yet, maybe the borough commander needed me for a simple single murder.

"We had the borough commanders looking at them and they were identifying the pattern, but they didn't necessarily see the whole playing field," he said.

"Our borough commanders are now practicing and drilling to make certain that they can, if need be, actually control the entire department," he said.

"I believe that was a mistake of the borough commander."

But the five new borough commanders and their deputy assistant chiefs will also respond to major emergencies, fire officials said.

Seven of the 18 chiefs and all five deputies for the borough commanders have not yet been named.