Lead
Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani announced on Wednesday that Jessica Tisch will continue as New York City’s police commissioner when he takes office on 1 January. Mamdani, a democratic socialist who campaigned on reform and criticism of policing practices, cited recent drops in violent crime and Tisch’s record on internal corruption as reasons for his decision. Tisch, appointed by Mayor Eric Adams in November 2024, has been credited with a near 20% year‑to‑date decline in murders and the removal of more than 4,800 illegal guns in 2025. Both men emphasized shared public‑safety goals even as differences on some policy questions remain.
Key takeaways
- Zohran Mamdani announced Jessica Tisch will remain NYPD commissioner; she will serve when he takes office on 1 January 2026.
- City figures cited by Mamdani and Tisch include a nearly 20% year‑to‑date drop in murders and more than 4,800 illegal guns removed in 2025.
- The first 10 months of the year reportedly saw the fewest shooting incidents and victims in the city’s recorded history.
- July–October 2025 were described as the four safest months for city transit in 15 years outside Covid‑era records.
- Tisch circulated an internal memo confirming her acceptance and stressed continued focus on public safety, internal integrity and officer support.
- Mamdani said he has instructed Tisch to ensure officers do not assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amid increased federal activity in the city.
- Both state officials — Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James — publicly supported Tisch’s continuation in the role.
- Mamdani’s past calls to “defund” the police remain part of the public record; he has since said those views evolved during his campaign.
Background
The dispute over policing and public safety has been a central battleground in New York politics for years, shaping mayoral contests and street‑level policing strategies. Jessica Tisch, a career public servant with 18 years of experience including time in the NYPD’s counter‑terrorism bureau, was appointed commissioner by Mayor Eric Adams in November 2024. Her tenure, Adams and others argue, coincided with measurable declines in several crime metrics through 2025, a point central to Mamdani’s endorsement of continuity.
Zohran Mamdani, 34, won an upset mayoral victory over established politicians and has pledged to reshape city governance with progressive priorities. Throughout his public life he has been an outspoken critic of policing practices, at times advocating for deep cuts to police budgets and denouncing institutional misconduct. During the campaign he repeatedly amended his messaging, telling voters in July that he was not running to defund the police and emphasizing evolution in his positions.
The wider context includes federal‑state tensions over immigration enforcement and an active federal push to increase ICE operations in New York. That backdrop helps explain Mamdani’s instruction to Tisch on ICE-related activities and sets up a test of how local law enforcement will balance cooperating on public safety while restricting support for federal immigration enforcement.
Main event
On Wednesday Mamdani publicly confirmed he had offered Tisch the chance to remain and that she had accepted. He praised Tisch’s record in reducing crime, pointing specifically to the first 10 months of 2025 as having the fewest shooting incidents and victims on record. Mamdani framed the decision as pragmatic: he signaled a willingness to work with an incumbent who produced measurable safety gains while pursuing reforms.
Tisch responded with a department‑wide email circulated before the public announcement, telling officers she had spoken with the mayor‑elect several times and accepted the role to continue work on lowering crime, rooting out corruption and supporting officers. She acknowledged areas of disagreement with Mamdani but stressed alignment on broad public‑safety goals and a commitment to be a “fierce advocate” for the department.
In broadcast interviews, Mamdani described conversations with Tisch about operational priorities and removing distractions that have affected policing in recent years. He also said he had told Tisch to ensure no NYPD officers assist ICE actions, a directive he reiterated in an interview with Pix11. The comment came as federal officials, including former ICE official Tom Homan, promised stepped‑up enforcement in the city.
State leaders quickly reacted. Governor Kathy Hochul praised Tisch as a partner in reducing crime and improving safety, while Attorney General Letitia James welcomed her continuation and highlighted reductions in murders as a positive outcome. Their support underlines cross‑branch political consensus on continuity for now, despite potential policy friction with the incoming mayor.
Analysis & implications
The decision to keep an incumbent commissioner is unusual for a newly elected mayor who campaigned on systemic change, and it signals a pragmatic turn in Mamdani’s early governance strategy. By keeping Tisch, Mamdani avoids immediate operational disruption in a large police department and can focus political capital on targeted reforms rather than wholesale leadership change. The move also gives him a working relationship with a commissioner credited with recent crime reductions, which could bolster short‑term public confidence.
However, retaining Tisch does not erase underlying policy tensions. Mamdani’s past rhetoric on defunding and his calls to reimagine public safety sit uneasily with Tisch’s emphasis on traditional policing tactics and officer support. Those differences are likely to surface around budget priorities, civilian oversight, deployment tactics and discipline procedures. The instruction regarding ICE cooperation illustrates a concrete policy area where operational directives may test both legal boundaries and departmental culture.
Politically, Mamdani’s choice may be intended to broaden his appeal beyond his progressive base by signaling stability on crime — a top issue for many New Yorkers — while keeping reformist credibility through policy changes he can implement without leadership turnover. For the NYPD, continuity at the top could mean more predictable short‑term operations but also raises questions about how deeper reforms — such as changes to use‑of‑force policies or internal accountability mechanisms — will be advanced.
Internationally and at the state level, the announcement reduces immediate uncertainty about law enforcement posture in the country’s largest city, which matters to business, tourism and intergovernmental cooperation. Yet substantive change will depend on the specifics of Mamdani’s agenda, budget negotiations with the City Council, and whether Tisch and Mamdani can translate shared broad goals into sustained, measurable policy shifts.
Comparison & data
| Metric | 2025 reported |
|---|---|
| Year‑to‑date change in murders | Nearly 20% decrease |
| Illegal guns removed (2025) | More than 4,800 |
| Transit safety (months) | July–October: four safest months in 15 years (outside Covid years) |
| Shooting incidents (first 10 months) | Fewest incidents and victims in recorded history |
Those figures were highlighted by city officials as evidence of progress on violent crime. They provide context for Mamdani’s choice but do not, on their own, resolve debates about strategy, resource allocation or long‑term trends. Analysts will scrutinize whether reductions persist, how they correlate with policing tactics, and how social services and prevention programs contribute.
Reactions & quotes
State and city leaders offered immediate public endorsements, framing the decision as stabilizing for a large municipal agency.
“Tisch has been a steadfast partner in driving crime down to historic lows and improving public safety across the city.”
Governor Kathy Hochul (statement)
Hochul’s comment emphasized continuity and credited Tisch with measurable results, reflecting a bipartisan preference for steady leadership amid changing city politics.
“I’m ready to serve with honor as his police commissioner. We share many of the same public‑safety goals for New York City.”
Commissioner Jessica Tisch (department email)
Tisch’s message to officers combined a reaffirmation of mission with an acknowledgment of policy differences, intended to reassure rank‑and‑file personnel as the administration changes. Mamdani also gave a brief on‑camera comment about operational priorities and ICE cooperation.
“I look forward to working with Commissioner Jessica Tisch to deliver genuine public safety in New York City.”
Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani (public statement)
Unconfirmed
- Whether Tisch’s tenure will extend beyond Mamdani’s initial term is not yet confirmed; no multi‑year agreement has been publicly released.
- The operational details and enforcement mechanism for the directive to prevent NYPD assistance to ICE are not publicly documented and may depend on legal and federal‑local coordination.
- Attribution of year‑to‑date crime declines to specific tactics or policies has not been independently verified in this article and will require longer‑term analysis.
Bottom line
Mamdani’s decision to retain Jessica Tisch signals a pragmatic opening to governance that values continuity on core city services while preserving room to pursue reform. The move may reassure residents and businesses focused on near‑term safety metrics, but it also places pressure on the new mayor to demonstrate how his broader reform agenda will be implemented within the current policing framework.
Expect early tests over budget allocations, oversight measures and specific operational directives — notably the instruction on ICE cooperation — to define the practical relationship between Mamdani and Tisch. Longer‑term judgment will rest on whether crime reductions persist and whether policy changes deliver improved accountability and community trust without sacrificing public safety.