EXCLUSIVE: Former head of NYPD union Roy Richter found dead in New York home

Former head of the NYPD Captains Endowment Association Roy T. Richter has died, sources confirmed to DailyMail.com.

Richter, 56, was found dead Tuesday at his Westchester home, multiple sources said.

The Westchester Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Richter died by suicide ‘intra-oral gunshot wound.’ His death appears to have occurred on his wife’s birthday.

“Roy Richter was a consummate professional, highly respected at every level in the NYPD and beyond,” a law enforcement union official said.

“His positive impact on the lives of thousands of officers during his union leadership will always be his legacy. He will be greatly missed.”

Richter was found dead by suicide at his Westchester home, multiple sources said

Richter served with the NYPD for 33 years before retiring in January 2020 as deputy inspector of the Licensing Division, which includes authorizing gun permits in the city.

He served as president of the Captains Endowment Association union for 12 years, having been elected to three consecutive terms.

The union represents 780 active and 1,400 retired uniformed commanders ranging from captain to deputy chief.

During his time at the help desk, Richter successfully negotiated multi-year bargaining agreements, including a new contract agreement on his last day on the job, which increased member compensation by 10 percent.

“The one thing this agreement recognizes is the service and sacrifice that the members of this coalition give to the City of New York every day. We are not better than any other city worker — we are just a little different,” Richter said in 2014 at a news conference with then-Mayor Bill de Blasio about a new contract deal for NYPD officers.

“And that difference is that when you go to work, you’re putting your body on the line, you’re putting your life on the line, you’re putting your family at risk and you want to go home at the end of the day.”

The former police commissioner (pictured right) died yesterday, on what appears to have been his wife’s birthday

He also chaired the Welfare Fund, which provides various medical benefits to 5,500 families, and managed the $32 billion police pension fund.

In addition to his work in law enforcement, Richter was also a lawyer and partner at Bifulco & Richter LLP, where he specialized in employment, tax and estate planning for 23 years.

Richter studied law at Fordham University School of Law, graduating in 1998, and also completed a course at the Columbia University Police Management Institute in 2003.

Maria Mammano, member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy for Professional Law Enforcement, wrote on Facebook: “Terrible news, Roy Richter has passed away. Say prayers for his soul and his family.”