Who is Jessica Tisch? NYPD's second-ever woman commissioner faces calls for her removal despite Mamdani's backing

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday insisted that he has no plans to remove New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch from the position. Speaking to reporters on Oct. 13, Mamdani said: "Jessica Tisch is the police commissioner, I have no plans to change that." The mayor highlighted the city's record low crime rates as well as the work of the NYPD and his administration.

Why is Tisch facing calls for removal?

In recent weeks, Mamdani has faced pressure from Democratic leaders and some of his supporters to do away with Tisch. The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has urged the mayor to fire Tisch after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers last week shot and injured a man in the Bronx during a targeted operation.


The NYPD was not involved in that operation, but city police responded to protests that erupted after the shooting incident, with cops getting into violent clashes with demonstrators. Police officers also pushed Democratic Congressional nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier to the ground. Chevalier, who is a close ally of Mamdani, has also backed calls for Tisch’s removal.

What does Mamdani say?

During the first 10 months of his administration, Mamdani and Tisch have managed to cut down crime rates to some of the lowest in the city's history. "The reason that I made the decision to have Jessica Tisch as the police commissioner was because of her record of uprooting corruption from the upper echelons of the NYPD while lowering crime across our city," Mamdani, a Democratic leader, said.

Second woman to lead NYPD

Jessica Tisch, who comes from a wealthy business family, was sworn in as the 48th Commissioner of the NYPD in November 2024 by then-NYC mayor Eric Adams. Tisch has earned her undergraduate, law and business degrees from Harvard University. She is only the second woman to lead the NYPD in its 181-year history.

Mamdani's plan to disband NYPD's elite unit

Mamdani is also under scrutiny over his promise to disband the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group -- an elite unit within the police department formed to handle counter-terror operations, active shootings, and mobilizations for major public disorder.

The response group has been criticized for their aggressive response and policing of protests, with critics arguing that it suppresses people’s democratic right to free speech. In Tuesday's remarks, Mamdani said he remained committed to dissolving the unit.