New York City Mayor Eric Adams has appointed Jessica Tisch, who has been serving as the city's Sanitation Commissioner, as the new Commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD). The 43-year-old Tisch, a fixture in city government for 16 years, will step into her new role today, becoming the second woman to assume this prominent position, as ABC 7 New York reported. The move arrives at a pivotal juncture for the country's largest police force.
Jessica Tisch's appointment comes as the NYPD void of leadership after Edward Caban's departure in September during a federal probe, followed by interim commissioner Thomas Donlon's revelation of also being searched by the FBI. Her ascension marks her third mayoral appointment, already having served under Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio, and continuing now with Eric Adams.
"I need someone that's going to take the police department into the next century," Mayor Adams stated, recognizing Tisch as a "visionary" with a solid track record of bettering city operations, as reported by NBC New York. Throughout her career at the NYPD and other city agencies, Tisch has been known for implementing technological advances, including the use of body-worn cameras and spearheading the "Trash Revolution" during her tenure as Sanitation Commissioner.
Indeed, Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, thinks highly of Tisch. Wylde, whose organization supports businesses moving jobs to the city, considers Tisch to be incredibly competent and empathetic to the NYPD's plight, as she told ABC 7 New York. "Jessie Tisch is whip-smart. and she has great empathy for the NYPD and what they're going through," Wylde remarked. Such endorsements suggest Tisch's readiness to confront the city's problem with violent crime and enact necessary changes.
As NYPD commissioner, Tisch inherits a lengthy list of challenges, including lobbying Albany on legal reforms and addressing how the mentally ill are handled. Tisch herself indicates an understanding of the weight of this responsibility, stating, "The mission is to keep you safe, to make you feel safe, and to improve your quality of life. To restore dignity and order to every street, every neighborhood, every borough of the city of New York," as per her statement obtained by both NBC New York and ABC 7 New York.
Interim commissioner, Thomas Donlon, who had hoped to retain his role will continue serving the administration but in a different capacity, as Mayor Adams also alluded to in his announcements. Meanwhile, the Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry expressed his hope for collaboration with Commissioner Tisch on pressing issues, notably the staffing woes and support deficits facing the officers on the street.
