Jessica Tisch, a seasoned public servant in New York City, was officially named the NYPD commissioner on Wednesday.
Tisch, who hails from a well-known Jewish family, is only the second woman to lead the department in its 179-year history.
At 43, Tisch brings over a decade of experience with the NYPD. Previously, she served as the department’s deputy commissioner for information technology and later became the city’s sanitation commissioner in 2022. In the latter role, she made headlines for her bold campaign against the city’s rat infestation.
In her new position as police commissioner, which she will begin on Monday, Tisch outlined her priorities. She emphasized her commitment to maintaining New York’s safety and vibrancy, combating crime and disorder, enhancing counterterrorism measures, and advancing the use of police technology.
“We will do all of this with integrity as we continue to build public confidence and trust in the police,” Tisch said in a statement released Wednesday.
Tisch is the fourth person to take on the role of police commissioner since Mayor Eric Adams took office in January 2022. Announcing her appointment, Adams praised her leadership skills, calling her “one of the most successful managers in our administration.”
“To ensure New Yorkers have the ability to thrive in our city, we need a strong, battle-tested leader who will continue to drive down crime and ensure New Yorkers are safe and feel safe, and I cannot think of a leader more up to the task than Commissioner Jessica Tisch,” Adams said.
Tisch comes from a prominent family with deep roots in New York’s business and philanthropic communities. Her father, James Tisch, serves as the president and co-CEO of the Loews Corporation, which the family has helmed since the 1950s. Her mother, Merryl Tisch, is the former chair of the New York State Board of Regents and currently holds the title of chairperson emeritus of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty. The Tisch family name is linked to several key institutions in the city, including a hospital and NYU’s arts school. In 2023, the Tisch Foundation donated $18 million, largely through the Jewish Communal Fund.
Tisch married Dan Levine, a venture capitalist, in 2006. The ceremony was held at Central Synagogue in Manhattan and officiated by her grandfather, Rabbi Philip Hiat, a Reform rabbi known for promoting interfaith dialogue.
Her career with the NYPD began in 2008 when she joined as a counterterrorism analyst. She rose through the ranks before taking on the role of commissioner at the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications from 2019 to 2022.
Tisch’s academic background includes undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard University, where she attended both the law and business schools. Reflecting on her decision to enter public service, she once told The New Yorker, “My grandmother was incredibly supportive. Everyone else was, like, ‘Really?’”
The NYPD, with its workforce of approximately 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilian employees, operates with an annual budget of $5.8 billion. Its close connection to Mayor Adams, who served in the department before entering politics, is widely noted.
The Adams administration has faced significant challenges recently, including allegations of corruption. In September, Adams pleaded not guilty to bribery charges. Edward Caban, Tisch’s predecessor, stepped down in September after federal investigators seized his phone as part of an inquiry into the mayor’s associates. Caban’s legal team maintained that he was not a target of the investigation. Tom Donlon, who briefly served as interim commissioner, also became entangled in a federal probe.
{Matzav.com}