Why Jessica Tisch Agreed to Stay on as Top Cop under Mamdani

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who has served a year as the city’s top cop under Mayor Eric Adams, emailed the entire police department on Nov. 19 to say she has agreed to stay on board once Zohran Mamdani is sworn in on Jan. 1.

“He asked me to serve as police commissioner in his administration, and after several conversations with him, I have agreed,” said Tisch in the email.

She made her first public appearance following the announcement at the ASIS International Security Conference at the Javits Center, where she was being honored as the Person of the Year.

While acknowledging her decision, the 44-year-old data-driven commissioner revealed little about went into the discussions, but both she and Mamdani acknowledged they do still have differences that they feel they can overcome with big-picture thinking.

At the luncheon, she was introduced by Brian Reich, chair of the ASIS New York City International Chapter, who praised her for “significant impacts to the city, with reductions in crime and many years of leadership.”

Her remarks when she took the stage acknowledged the transition to Mamdani, though carefully. Tisch said she told NYPD members earlier in the day that they were the reason she accepted the “very gracious offer” from the mayor-elect to remain police commissioner.

She implied that recent discussions with Mamdani were constructive. “The mayor-elect and I agree on many of the same public-safety goals for New York City,” she said. “Lowering crime, making communities safer, rooting out corruption, and giving our officers the tools and resources they need.” Tisch cited record low numbers for shootings, murders, and major crimes. “We are crushing it,” she told the crowd of more than a thousand security professionals, noting that the past four months were among the safest the city has seen in 15 years.

Through Nov. 16, six of the seven major crime categories that the city tracks through CompStat have declined, Citywide, the overall crime rate dropped by 5.3 percent compared with a year earlier. One troubling statistic in the mix: Rapes are on the rise, jumping 16.4 percent to 1,803 incidents across the city through mid-November.

Felony assaults have also been hard to bring down, dropping only 0.1 percent to 26,294 incidents this year.

Grand larceny auto, which was plaguing the city a year ago is now down 5.3 percent citywide to 12,781 incidents through mid-November, and robbery tumbled 9.5 percent to 13,481 citywide, but burglary dropped only 2.9 percent to 42,221 incidents and grand larceny also dropped 2.9. percent to 42,221.

Reactions to Tisch’s decision among attendees reflected a mix of confidence and curiosity. When asked how he thought Mamdani persuaded her to stay on, John Galvin of GardaWorld Security said, “Hopefully he gave her a raise.”

Although Mamdani walked back his earlier defund-the-police remarks, he is also seen as a pro-Palestine supporter who regularly appeared at rallies for them after the Hamas-Israel War started. Tisch, a billionaire heiress whose family has a stake in the New York football Giants is a well-known philanthropist for Jewish causes who has been known to wear a Star of David necklace at public appearances. Keeping Tisch as his commissioner could help Mamdani tamp down speculation about anti-Semitism among some members of the Jewish community.

NYPD Sergeant John Schoppmann, a 23-year veteran, said Mamdani’s move to retain Tisch “made perfect sense,” pointing to the city’s improving numbers. “Crime is down at its lowest rate. It’s good for the city to keep that going.”

A rabbi attending the ASIS event said the Jewish community welcomed the news. “Everyone is thrilled she will stay on at least through the transition,” he said. “No one knows what happens after that, but people feel reassured.”

In her speech, Tisch also highlighted internal reforms, including a restructuring of executive leadership, an overhaul of the Internal Affairs Bureau, changes to the disciplinary system, and new training and facilities. “Our strategies must be designed and executed to the highest standards,” she said. “And we must remain focused always on the people we serve.”

In a joint appearance with Tisch later that day, Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist, downplayed that their differences will be a problem. “We share a commitment to keeping New York safe,” he said. “Our disagreements are good. Too often, leaders surround themselves with people who just say yes. I want honest debate about how we make the city safer.”

Mamdani wants no increase in the size of the NYPD, which currently numbers 33,000 people. One of his big plans is to spend $1.1 billion to build a new agency to take on some of the non-criminal responsibilities that the NYPD now must tackle.