Jessica Tisch, a descendant of one of the wealthiest and most influential Jewish families in the world, was appointed on Wednesday as the new Commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD) – the second woman in history to hold the position.
"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," said New York Mayor Eric Adams.
"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," he added.
“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 uniformed members and civilians to propel the NYPD into the next century of technological advancement,” said incoming NYPD Commissioner Tisch.
Tisch, 43, a member of the Democratic Party, began her public career as a terrorism analyst with the NYPD in 2008 and quickly rose through the ranks, ultimately serving as the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) and the city’s Chief Information Officer from December 2019 to January 2022.
In this role, she led the largest municipal IT organization in the U.S., overseeing a broad range of services, from public safety and human services to economic development, as well as New York City 311. Tisch also launched the city’s first text-to-911 service. Additionally, she played a key role in the city's COVID-19 response, helping to develop and manage critical programs, including the city's vaccination system.
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New York Mayor Eric Adams and incoming NYPD Commisioner Jessica Tisch
(Photo: New York Municipality)
Tisch takes on this role amid a political storm surrounding the city administration and the largest police force in the U.S., which employs more than 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilian staff, with a massive $5.8 billion budget.
Tisch is known as a demanding leader who isn’t afraid to push for government reforms. She holds three degrees from the prestigious Harvard University: a law degree, an MBA, and a bachelor's degree, making her one of the most educated figures in American public service. She has said that she received great support from her family, though she was sometimes seen as an outsider among them. "Only my grandmother said I could do this," she revealed in the past.
Her appointment comes at a particularly sensitive time, as Mayor Eric Adams faces serious corruption allegations and prepares for next year’s election. Her predecessor, Edward Caban, resigned in September after federal investigators seized his phone as part of an ongoing probe related to the city administration. His temporary successor, Thomas Donlon, also became embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that he had kept sensitive documents for over two decades.
The Tisch family, as mentioned, is one of the wealthiest and most influential Jewish families in the world. Jessica's father, billionaire James Tisch, 71, is the head of the giant corporation Loews and is considered one of the most prominent philanthropists supporting Israel. He served as the chairman of the Jewish Agency's board of trustees and is still an honorary member of the board.
At the end of October 2023, the Tisch family displayed images of the Israeli hostages on the facade of the New York University (NYU) library building, without the institution's approval. The projection was made from a projector inside the Tisch School of the Arts building at NYU, which has borne the family's name since 1982. The family explained that the move was in response to incidents where posters featuring the hostages were torn down on campus, and Jewish students reported incidents of antisemitism.
The Tisch family also has deep ties to the Jewish community in New York City and across the United States. On her mother's side, Jessica is the granddaughter of the late Rabbi Philip Hiat, one of the well-known rabbis in the city. Both her father and mother, Merryl, 69, are still actively involved in numerous Jewish organizations, with the Tisch family's donations supporting dozens of community projects. In Israel, the family name is displayed at the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem and at the Tel Aviv University School of Film, as a reminder of their substantial contributions.
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