Jessica Tisch officially became the 48th police commissioner in NYPD history on Monday, as Mayor Eric Adams swore in the second woman ever to hold the post during a ceremony at One Police Plaza.
Tisch, previously the sanitation commissioner, arrived at police headquarters in Lower Manhattan on Nov. 25 with her children in hand and a round of applause from attendees that included NYPD brass and previous top cops such as Dermot Shea and Raymond Kelly.
The new commissioner does not have uniformed police experience but has served in civilian roles within the NYPD over the years—something Mayor Adams addressed before the ceremony.
“I push back on anyone who believes she had to wear a police uniform to take the Police Department to the next level. She can wear any uniform and accomplish the task,” Adams said.
Tisch placed her hand on her grandmother’s Bible and took the oath as the city’s new top cop. “I solemnly swear that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the position of police commissioner of the city of New York to the very best of my abilities,” Tisch said.
Both cops and sanitation workers filled the audience. Following the ceremony, the new police commissioner pledged to lead the city in a safe return to normalcy.
“My greatest hope is that together, we will return this noble undertaking, this job of high moral purpose, to a time and a place where you want your children, your grandchildren, your nieces, your nephews, to follow in your footsteps and become police officers,” Tisch said. “The police exist to eliminate fear and disorder, your cops, like generations before them, nobly put their lives on the line each and every time they put on that uniform to protect you and your families, and they do a damn good job of it. We will continue to do that most important foundational work to make you safe.”
Fourth new commish in three years
While several of the aforementioned top cops were in attendance to witness the historic moment, several others were noticeably absent.
Tisch’s forebear, Keechant Sewell, resigned from the position in 2023 after reported frustrations with Adams for allegedly micromanaging her and refusing to allow her to make her own calls.
She was then followed by the first Latino top cop, Edward Caban, who only lasted about a year in office after becoming embroiled in a federal investigation and accusations that his twin were using police resources to shake down nightclub owners.
Thomas Donlon then became interim police commissioner before Adams announced last week that Tisch would step into the role.
Bill Bratton, who served as NYPD commissioner during the Giuliani and de Blasio administrations, expressed enthusiasm that Tisch will make a lasting impact during her administration of the NYPD — provided that Mayor Adams gives her the leeway to do so.
“I think she’s going to do a great, if the mayor lets her,” Bratton said, according to ABC Bews. “I think it’s quite important that the mayor make it quite clear what he wants and gets out of the way and lets her do it. I think that was the issue with his previous three commissioners… and that’s why he had three previous commissioners.”
