Jessica Tisch sworn in as second female NYPD commissioner — vows to improve quality of life in NYC
Longtime public servant Jessica Tisch vowed to improve New Yorkers’ quality of life as she was sworn-in as NYPD commissioner Monday.
Tisch — the scion of a wealthy New York family who most recently served as head of the city sanitation department — was joined by her two sons, husband and parents as she took the oath of office before a packed room at One Police Plaza.
“The police exist to eliminate fear and disorder… and they do a damn good job of it,” the new top cop said.
“We will continue to do that most important foundational work to make you safe, make you feel safe and to improve the quality of life across the city,” she told New Yorkers.
Tisch, 42, is the second woman to lead the police department in its 179-year history — and the fourth commissioner to be named by Mayor Eric Adams in his three-year tenure.
Adams on Monday praised Tisch as a “battle-tested leader,” touting her tenure as Sanitation Commissioner and her previous 12-year civilian stint with the NYPD, including leading its information technology and telecommunication department.
“The police commissioner doesn’t only keep us safe, it’s an economic stimulus,” Adams said, adding, “The prerequisite to prosperity is public safety.”
Three former police commissioners, Ray Kelly, Bill Bratton and Dermot Shea, who Tisch worked under, were in attendance to greet the new top cop.
“I don’t think Jessie needs any advice from me,” Shea, who served under Mayor Bill de Blasio, said.
“She know what she’s doing. I think she’s going to be great for the city,” he added. “She’s going to wrap her arms around public safety and she’s going to improve morale.”
Tisch — whose mother, Merryl Tisch, is the former chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents and whose father, James Tisch, is CEO of Loews Corporation — has long sought to ascend to the top spot in the police department.
The Harvard University graduate takes over a department in turmoil under Adams, a former cop who has touted himself as a law-and-order leader and is fending off federal bribery and corruption charges, which he denies.
Adams’ last full-time commissioner, Edward Caban, resigned in September after federal agents seized his electronics as part of what sources said was a probe into claims of a nightclub protection racket that allegedly involved his twin brother and ensnared a number of cops.
Adams appointed prominent former FBI and counterterrorism official Tom Donlon just days later to fill the spot as interim commissioner — but he and the current police brass butted heads.
The tension spilled over into public view during the New York City marathon when his top spokesman and chief of staff Tarik Sheppard screamed at Donlon before Chief of Department Jeff Maddrey had to pull him away.
Adams’ first police commissioner Keechant Sewell, the first female to ever hold the job, abruptly resigned just over a year in the role due to months of tension between her, then-Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Phil Banks and the mayor himself.
The police administration has struggled to bring down crime to following a 23% jump during the mayor’s first year.
While gains were made in decreasing the number of murders and shootings, felony assaults have soared to decades-highs.
— Additional reporting by Amanda Woods
