Dermot Shea Sworn In As New NYPD Police Commissioner
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The city has a new police commissioner: Former Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea is now the NYPD's new top cop.
Shea was sworn in by Mayor Bill de Blasio during a ceremony at One Police Plaza this morning.
He will be the 44th leader of the NYPD.
Shea is a Queens native who has been with the force since 1991. He says he plans to take neighborhood policing to the next level.
"I'm looking forward to working with everyone who lives, works, and visits here to make New York City even safer," he said.
Shea is replacing outgoing Commissioner James O'Neill who spent three years on the job.
Swearing-In Ceremony For Incoming NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea
O'Neill, 61, retired from the NYPD to take a job as Visa's senior vice president and global head of physical security.
Thank you, Commissioner James P. O'Neill, our 43rd Police Commissioner.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) November 30, 2019
We thank him for his vision, leadership, and 37 years of dedicated service to the NYPD & all New Yorkers. pic.twitter.com/BfzrdUpGR9
De Blasio has credited Shea with building strategies that drove crime to record lows.
When he announced Shea's appointment, the mayor called him "one of the best-prepared incoming police commissioners this city has ever seen."
Born and raised in Sunnyside, Dermot Shea is a New Yorker through and through. A 28-year veteran, he knows what it's like to walk a beat and lead a precinct. He helped build the strategies that have driven crime to record lows. He's a proven change agent.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) November 4, 2019
The new commissioner has already been met with criticism, however. Some New Yorkers questioned why de Blasio passed over Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker for the top job.
In an interview with CBS2, Shea said he was committed to making the city safer for all communities and that he is committed to making sure upper management at the NYPD reflects the diversity of the city.