Jessica Tisch will remain police commissioner in Mamdani administration | New York
New York City’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, announced Wednesday that the city’s current police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, will remain in her position as she begins her term leading the city.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist whose election victory made headlines around the world, has frequently criticized the police, especially on issues of racism and police brutality.
But somehow announcementNoting Tisch’s leadership, Mamdani said the city “experienced a historic decline in crime – the first 10 months of the year reported the fewest shooting incidents and victims in recorded history.” Tisch was first appointed as commissioner by outgoing Mayor Eric Adams last November.
Mamdani also noted a nearly 20% drop in citywide homicides since the beginning of the year and the elimination of more than 4,800 illegal weapons in 2025, as well as record safety underground outside the Covid-19 years, with the four safest months for urban transportation in 15 years (July, August, September and October).
Greeting Tisch, who spent 18 years in public service, starting with the NYPD’s counterterrorism bureau, Mamdani said he was willing to cooperate with him.
“I look forward to working with Commissioner Jessica Tisch to ensure true public safety in New York City. I admire her work combating corruption at the highest levels of law enforcement, reducing crime in New York City, and advocating for New Yorkers in the face of authoritarianism,” he said.
“Together, we will create a city where ordinary police officers and the communities they serve are safe, represented, and proud to call New York home,” he added.
Similarly, Tisch said: “Thanks to the men and women of the NYPD, the strategies we implemented this year have resulted in historic reductions in crime.”
He continued: “I have spoken with Mayor-elect Mamdani several times, and I am prepared to serve honorably as his police commissioner. That’s because he and I share the same public safety goals for New York City: reducing crime, making communities safer, rooting out corruption, and providing our officers with the tools, support, and resources they need to fulfill their noble duties.”
The announcement received support from state officials as well as New York Governor Kathy Hochul. saying: “[New York police commissioner] Tisch has been a committed partner in reducing crime to historic lows and improving public safety throughout the city. “I am happy that this work will continue under the direction of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.”
Similarly, New York attorney general Leticia James said, in question: “Nice to see you [New York police commissioner] Jessica Tisch will continue to serve as a commissioner under the chairmanship of our mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Under his leadership, murders have fallen to record lows and our city is safer than it has been in years. “I look forward to continuing our work to protect New Yorkers.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s public announcement, Tisch sent an internal email to the entire police department confirming that he had accepted the offer to remain as police commissioner.
“Now, do the mayor-elect and I agree on everything? No, we don’t. But when we talk to him, it’s clear that we share broad and important priorities: the importance of public safety, the need to continue reducing crime, and the need to maintain stability and order across the department. We also agree that you deserve the respect and support of the city.” accordingly outlets reviewing this.
After “several conversations” with Mamdani in which they disagreed on some issues but remained aligned on their overall goals, Tisch said he would remain “an ardent advocate for this department.”
“You know how I work: I don’t mince words. When I say something, I mean it. And that won’t change,” he wrote in his email.
Meanwhile Mamdani said ABC7’s Closer noted on Sunday that he met with Tisch last week: “The conversation was more about what ensuring public safety might look like, and especially what it might look like without the distractions that we’ve seen in the last few years.”
Over the years, the former Queens councilman called many times As he defunded the New York police department, he at one point described the institution as “evil and corrupt.” However, during the campaign, Mamdani sought to distance himself from these earlier statements, saying they were “clearly contrary” to his current views.
Mamdani in July in question“I’m not defunding the police. I’m not trying to defund the police,” adding, “he’s a candidate whose time is not fixed, he’s learning and he’s leading, and part of that means accepting as he grows.”
Wednesday’s announcement comes as Mamdani, 34, the city’s first Muslim mayor and second-youngest mayor, prepares to take office on Jan. 1.
Since her upset victory over veteran politician Andrew Cuomo, a victory that energized the left of the Democratic party, Mamdani’s team has accepted It aims to “herald a new era” where “we put people first, not billionaires”, with more than 50,000 resumes for town hall roles.
