New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch is remaining as the top cop of the largest U.S. city as public safety remains a top concern for New Yorkers and the real estate industry.
Tisch, having delivered “historic reductions in violent crime” while eliminating corruption in the “upper echelons of the police department,” will stay on as police commissioner, New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Wednesday in a statement.
Tisch, an 18-year veteran of public service, said she met with Mamdani several times before agreeing to stay in her post.
The appointment is seen as a relief for the real estate industry as Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has previously advocated for defunding the police before walking back that stance.
“This is good news for the people of New York City,” James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, said in a statement. “Commissioner Tisch has been a steady hand at the NYPD, and the real estate community is appreciative of her willingness to remain as police commissioner. As Mayor-elect Mamdani builds his team we are hopeful that he will continue to prioritize governmental experience and civic responsibility in his selections.”
Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of the New York Building Congress, echoed that sentiment. The news that Tisch is staying on “is very welcome, not just to the business community or building industry, but to the entire city,” he said.
Developers and other industry professionals said during the campaign that Mamdani’s approach to policing and crime would be a key point to watch if he were elected. Various surveys have shown public safety plays a key part in the return-to-office pace and the city’s tourism and retail recovery from the pandemic.
Business leaders and other city power players have been pushing Tisch to stay on under a Mamdani administration “as a firewall against many radical progressive police reforms,” the New York Post reported.
As part of his plan to address public safety issues, Mamdani has proposed a department of community safety that would dispatch social workers to respond to issues such as homelessness and mental illness.
He also calmed some industry nerves by appointing Maria Torres-Springer, a name familiar to the real estate sector, as part of his transition team.