New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch speaks during a press conference at 1 Police Plaza in New York City, U.S., April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
(New York, New York) – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani quietly downgraded the role of Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch on his first day in office – a move that went largely unreported amid lighter coverage of ceremonial events.
Buried within a sweeping executive order restructuring the mayor’s office, Mamdani altered the long-standing chain of command at the New York City Police Department. Under the change, the police commissioner will no longer report directly to the mayor, but instead to a deputy mayor – a departure from decades of City Hall practice.
City Hall sources say the shift could significantly change how the mayor receives daily intelligence briefings and interacts with law enforcement leadership. Traditionally, New York City mayors meet one-on-one with the police commissioner each morning, mirroring the president’s daily national security briefing.
An NYPD officer familiar with department operations said the change may reduce the commissioner’s independence and allow increased political pressure from City Hall. “If the mayor does nothing, it’s symbolic,” the officer said. “But structurally, it gives the administration more leverage over the commissioner.”
The restructuring was included in a broader set of executive orders Mamdani signed within hours of taking office. The orders also revoked several actions of the prior administration, created new offices focused on economic justice and tenant protections, and launched multiple housing-related task forces aimed at accelerating development.
Supporters argue the mayor is moving quickly to implement his agenda, while critics say the decision to downgrade the police commissioner signals a troubling shift in priorities – particularly in a city that remains a high-profile target for terrorism and continues to grapple with public safety concerns.
Mamdani has not publicly addressed the change to the NYPD reporting structure, and City Hall has not said whether the move is intended to be temporary or permanent.
As Mamdani begins his tenure pledging to “govern expansively and audaciously,” critics say the quiet sidelining of the city’s top law enforcement official may prove to be one of the most consequential – and controversial – actions of his first day in office.
