Police Commissioner Tisch Agrees to Stay on Under Mamdani, Vows To Stand Firm For NYPD

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch assured officers early Wednesday that she would remain a “fierce advocate” for them as she confirmed she will continue in her role under incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the New York Post reported Wednesday. She told the force she would not “mince words” as she explained her decision to accept Mamdani’s offer to stay on.

In a department-wide email, Tisch acknowledged she doesn’t “100% agree” with every aspect of Mamdani’s far-left, soft on crime agenda, yet said recent conversations with him gave her confidence she could continue to lead the NYPD “honorably going forward,” despite his history of anti-police rhetoric.

“I wanted you — the men and women of the NYPD — to hear this directly from me first. Because the reason I have chosen to stay is you,” Tisch wrote. “I believe deeply in the nobility of your work, in what you do every day to keep this city safe, in your commitment, and in your sacrifice.”

She added that she and Mamdani do not see eye to eye on everything. “But in speaking with him, it’s clear that we share broad and crucial priorities: the importance of public safety, the need to continue driving down crime, and the need to maintain stability and order across the department.”

Mamdani’s decision fulfills his campaign pledge to keep the respected 44-year-old commissioner in place. His team has highlighted the steep drop in crime under her leadership — including record-low shootings this year — as he works to reassure New Yorkers concerned that crime would surge under his administration.

“I appreciate that the Mayor-elect wants a team with different points of view — a team where ideas and policies are debated on their merits,” Tisch continued. “In those discussions, you can trust that I will be a fierce advocate for you and for this department. You know how I operate: I don’t mince words. When I say something, I mean it. And that is not going to change.”

Tisch, who is Jewish, praised the department’s accomplishments, calling this year’s crime-fighting success “extraordinary.” But she stressed that “we can never rest easy” and urged officers to continue pushing forward. “We owe the people of New York City more. Let’s meet that challenge together.”

Her decision to notify the force before the official announcement was well received inside the department. “Very classy to tell the rank and file first,” a police source said. “Shows the deep respect she has for the cops and the work they do.”

Police Benevolent Association president Patrick Hendry welcomed the stability Tisch’s continued leadership provides. “Commissioner Tisch understands all of the many challenges police officers face on the streets and has been working productively with us to address them,” he said. Scott Munro of the Detectives Endowment Association called it “a great day for New York City Detectives.”

In announcing the appointment, Mamdani said he intends to maintain a department where both “rank-and-file police officers and the communities they serve” are protected. “I have admired her work cracking down on corruption in the upper echelons of the police department, driving down crime in New York City, and standing up for New Yorkers in the face of authoritarianism,” he said.

“Together, we will deliver a city where rank-and-file police officers and the communities they serve alike are safe, represented, and proud to call New York their home.”