New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Wednesday, Nov. 20, the appointment of the current commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), Jessica Tisch, as the next commissioner of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), effective Monday, Nov. 25, replacing interim Police Commissioner Tom Donlon in the role.

The mayor said Tisch will be the second female to serve as commissioner of the NYPD in its 179-year history; the first being Commissioner Keechant Sewell, who was also appointed by Adams. Tisch will be the fourth police commissiner to serve in the Adams administration since Jan. 1, 2022, after former Commissioners Sewell, Edward Caban, and Donlon. 

As reported, on Sept. 12, the mayor accepted Caban’s resignation a little over one year in the role. His surprise resignation followed news of an investigation by federal agents during which the homes of four top Adams administration officials were raided on Sept. 4, Caban’s among them.

Eyewitness News reported that federal authorities are also investigating Caban’s twin brother, James Caban, who runs a nightclub security business, according to a person familiar with the matter. The outlet also reported that although he resigned, Caban’s attorney said he “unequivocally denies any wrongdoing” and has fully cooperated with investigators.

As also reported, on Sept. 21, Donlon, who grew up in Norwood announced that he was also the subject of a separate raid on his home by federal agents, less than a week into his new job. In his statement, the interim commissioner said, in part, that the raid was unrelated to his work as police commissioner and that documents that had come into his possession around 20 years ago were removed during the search.

He added, “As one of the most successful managers in our administration, I am confident that Commissioner Tisch will effectively lead the greatest police department in the world and continue to deliver the safety and peace of mind New Yorkers deserve. I also want to thank Interim Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon for serving our city over the last two months, after a lifetime of serving our state and this country. We appreciate his willingness to quickly come on board and dedicate day and night to this city. I look forward to having him serve in his new role.” 

For her part, Tisch said, “For 12 years, I cherished the special privilege of serving alongside the brave women and men of the New York City Police Department. I’ve seen firsthand the profound nobility of the policing profession, and I was proud to work shoulder-to-shoulder with both uniform members and civilians to propel the NYPD into the next century of technological advancement.” 

She added, “I thank Mayor Adams for the tremendous honor to now lead the NYPD, and I understand the solemnity of this great responsibility. It is now my distinct honor to advance Mayor Adams’ vision of fighting crime and disorder; keeping our great city safe and vibrant; protecting all New Yorkers, including our officers who put their lives on the line every day, so they can live free of fear; continuing to build the most nimble municipal counterterrorism apparatus in the world; and implementing the most forward-thinking law enforcement training and technology. We will do all of this with integrity as we continue to build public confidence and trust in the police.”

City officials said Tisch is a 17-year veteran of city government, adding that she was appointed DSNY commissioner in April 2022, managing the city’s waste collection, recycling, and disposal, as well as cleaning and snow removal for approximately 6,500 miles of city streets. Under her leadership, they said New York City has seen “generational change in sanitation service,” including the launch of the aforementioned “Trash Revolution,” and the rollout of weekly universal curbside composting service to all 3.5 million homes across the City. 

They said, previously, Tisch served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) and as citywide chief information officer from December 2019 to January 2022. As commissioner, they said she ran the largest municipal IT organization in the country, with a wide portfolio ranging from public safety to human services to economic development as well as New York City 311.

According to City officials, Tisch also rolled out the city’s first text-to-911 capability. While at DoITT, they said she additionally served as a core member of the team that managed the City’s COVID-19 pandemic response.

Prior to joining DoITT, they said Tisch spent the majority of her career at the NYPD, where she served as deputy commissioner of information technology and oversaw the NYPD’s 911 operations. They said she spearheaded efforts to use technology to transform the NYPD’s fundamental business processes, including how officers are dispatched and respond to 911 calls, take crime reports, investigate, and search for wanted or missing persons.

They said she also managed the development and implementation of the flagship Domain Awareness System, which is at the heart of the NYPD’s crime fighting and counterterrorism operations. Under her leadership, City officials said every officer was equipped with a smartphone, giving them access to real-time information in the field, as well as improving their accessibility to the public.

They said Tisch also managed the implementation of the NYPD’s body-worn camera program and drove additional efforts to improve transparency and public access to the NYPD, modernizing CompStat by prioritizing democratization of data to precincts. They said she began her public service career in 2008, when she joined the NYPD as a counterterrorism analyst. 

Tisch is a graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Business School and is a lifelong New Yorker.