NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch's announcement on Wednesday that she will remain in her post after Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani takes office was widely praised by people across the political spectrum.
Police unions and former law enforcement officials immediately lauded Tisch’s appointment – even the NYCLU, a frequent department critic, said it “appreciated” the commissioner’s leadership. But some of Mamdani’s progressive allies fear Tisch could stand in the way of the mayor-elect’s ambitious public safety proposals.
Political observers say Tisch’s broad appeal and tough-on-crime reputation make her a wise choice for Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist who was bashed by his opponents throughout the primary for his past criticism of the police.
“It just makes all the sense in the world,” said Greg Krieg, media director at the Democratic consulting firm Slingshot Strategies. “ I think it's really a smart political move and also a smart governing decision.”
“It’s another example of Mayor-elect Mamdani picking exceptional people to be part of his team,” said Chauncey Parker, a former deputy mayor of public safety under Mayor Eric Adams. “It shows that he means what he says: that he’s going to put together the best team possible to serve the people of the city.”
In their joint announcement Wednesday, Mamdani and Tisch said they would work together to create a new Department of Community Safety, which would send mental health professionals to help people in distress and collaborate closely with the NYPD.
But Tisch and Mamdani differ on several key issues, like bail reform. In a departmentwide email Wednesday, Tisch said she and the mayor-elect don’t agree on everything, and that she appreciates that Mamdani “wants a team with different points of view.”
Tisch, a former NYPD counterterrorism analyst, has deep roots in the department. She was appointed commissioner last year by Mayor Adams and has since earned recognition for rooting out corruption in the department’s highest ranks.
Serious crimes, including shootings and homicides, have also fallen to historic lows under her leadership, mirroring a national trend.
Mamdani’s publicly announced intention to keep her on during the campaign helped him secure support from more moderate Democrats like Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Police unions immediately cheered the announcement of Tisch’s appointment Wednesday.
“We are very glad to hear that there will be stability and continuity in the NYPD’s leadership going forward, " Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said in a statement. He said Tisch “understands all of the many challenges police officers face on the streets and has been working productively with us to address them.”
Vincent Vallelong, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, said his organization was “optimistic” about Tisch’s appointment. “But to do her job effectively, she will need to receive that same support from the new administration as well,” he said in a statement.
Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said in a social media post that “Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah came early for New Yorkers.”
Bratton, a chief architect of the controversial “broken windows” theory of policing, said Tisch is “the public safety gift that keeps on giving.”
Some criminal justice advocacy groups and progressive organizations have criticized Tisch’s focus on policing low-level crimes as a return to broken windows policing.
Since taking control of the department, Tisch has led an expansion of teams of NYPD officers who focus on policing quality-of-life enforcement. The Q-teams, which are now dispatched in precincts across the city, respond to minor violations such as illegal parking, homeless encampments and noise complaints.
Mamdani’s appointment of Tisch “is a rebuff of his promises to New Yorkers and a disturbing endorsement of NYPD’s ongoing violence and corruption,” said Justice Committee Executive Director Loyda Colón. Colón called for her immediate removal.
The head of the NYCLU, a self-proclaimed “longtime critic of the NYPD,” was more hopeful.
“We have appreciated Commissioner Tisch standing up to President Trump and stating loud and clear that there is no basis to send the National Guard to New York City,” NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said in a statement.
Lieberman said she hoped Tisch would place renewed emphasis on officer accountability and cooperate with the Civilian Complaint Review Board in the new administration.
“The NYCLU will continue to monitor, challenge and hold the NYPD and the commissioner accountable to New Yorkers,” Lieberman said.
This story has been updated with a quote from media strategist Greg Krieg.
