NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch officially sworn in
NEW YORK -- The New York City Police Department's newest commissioner, Jessica Tisch, was sworn in Monday.
Tisch becomes the second female commissioner in the NYPD's 179-year history, and the fourth person to lead the department under Mayor Eric Adams.
Tisch is the 48th commissioner of the NYPD, and comes at a time of intense scrutiny for Adams, who is under federal indictment, as well as the department. Her two predecessors, Tom Donlon and Edward Caban, departed under the cloud of separate FBI investigations and raids on their homes.
Tisch promised to restore public trust and confidence in the department.
Who is Jessica Tisch?
Tisch boasts an impressive list of credentials, including three Harvard degrees. For the last two years as sanitation commissioner, she led the execution of the city's new containerized trash program.
Tisch has never walked a beat or worn NYPD blue - her time in the agency was a civilian. She is also a 12-year veteran of the NYPD, where she served as deputy commissioner for information technology and oversaw the implementation of body-worn cameras.
It says a lot about her that three former commissioners sang her praises, and Adams insisted she didn't need to wear the uniform to take the agency to the next level.
"We must turn the corner and bring the innovation and thought process that Tisch brought her first time here, and what she brought into DSNY. A good manager can manage anywhere," Adams said.
He called her a battle-tested leader who has excelled at every position she's held. He swore her in, and handed her the solid gold badge that comes with the position.
"To the men and women of the NYPD, my greatest hope is that together we will return this noble undertaking, this job of high moral purpose, to a time and a place where you want your children, your grandchildren, your nieces, your nephews to follow in your footsteps and become police officers," Tisch said at her swearing in. "And finally, to the city that I serve, the police exist to eliminate fear and disorder. Your cops, like generations before them, nobly put their lives on the line each and every time they put on that uniform to protect you and your families. And they do a damn good job of it. We will continue to do that most important foundational work to make you safe, to make you feel safe, and to improve your quality of life across the city."
Adams lauds Tisch and the NYPD
"There is no other role in this city that has such a drastic impact in the quality of life of the city than the police commissioner," Adams said. "That is the title. That is the role. And if it is done correctly and fairly, it can bridge the gap between communities and make people believe again in what's possible."
Adams called the NYPD "the largest and most important police department on the globe."
"The role of the police commissioner is to lead from the front," Adams said. "I needed a battle-tested leader. Someone that understands what it is to lead. Seventeen years in government, 12 years in the police department."
Despite the turmoil taking over during a time of turmoil, with the mayor under indictment, her two immediate predecessors under the cloud of FBI investigations, Tisch praised Adams for his acumen as her boss.
"You have pushed me to be bold when I needed pushing. And you threw your full support behind initiatives that absolutely destroyed the unsatisfactory status quo which others have seen as too politically hot to handle," Tisch said.
"I think she will do a terrific job," former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said. He called her hard working, smart, and tough.
"I don't think Jessica Tisch needs any advice from me. She knows what she's doing. I think she's going to be great for the city. She's going to wrap her arms around public safety and she's going to improve morale," for NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said.
Former Commissioner Bill Bratton had nothing but praise for Tisch, who was his deputy commissioner, but he didn't sugarcoat the task ahead of her.
"The NYPD has phenomenal challenges in the years ahead, so it's good to have someone on the 14th floor that understands the department, its capabilities and limitations," Bratton said.
NYPD's latest change of command
One of her top focuses will be building public trust and confidence in the police department, which has been plagued by scandal. The long list of problems she's facing includes understaffing and attrition.
While shootings have declined 30% in the past two years, New Yorkers remain nervous about random attacks.
Tisch is taking over for Interim Commissioner Donlon, who ran the department after Caban resigned in September.
Federal agents seized Caban's phones in one of five investigations involving members of the mayor's inner circle. Several other NYPD officials also had their phones seized, along with Caban's twin brother, James.
CBS News New York learned the federal probe involved allegations James Caban used his police connections to win favorable treatment for nightclubs facing violations.
Crime has dropped since Adams took office, but the Police Benevolent Association says the NYPD faces other problems, like understaffing and attrition. The mayor has taken steps to help bolster the department's numbers, including plans to hire 1,600 new officers starting in January.