Zohran Mamdani must leave Jessie Tisch alone as police commissioner and not interfere in the running of the department.
For years, Mamdani has been reckless in his criticism, saying that “the NYPD is racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety” and should be defunded. He was wrong on all four counts and as mayor he will need the NYPD to protect the more than 8 million New Yorkers.
And that’s exactly what the men and women of the rank and file in blue serving under Tisch have been doing. From January through October, NYC suffered the fewest shooting incidents and shooting victims since records have been kept, lower than the previous low in the pre-COVID year of 2018. The streets are safer and the subways are safer. Keep that trend going and don’t mess it up.
Mamdani was wise to retain Tisch, whose successful approach to policing makes much more sense than his. For months he has wanted her to remain in her post, so the only question was if she was willing to stay on the job with him as mayor. Yesterday, she seemed satisfied that he will let her continue to run the NYPD as she sees fit. Since she is satisfied, New Yorkers should feel relieved that the department will continue to drive down crime.
Tisch marks her first year in the job on Nov. 25 and it’s been a stellar freshman outing for her and the department. She cleaned out the cronyism infecting the upper reaches of 1 Police Plaza and has been a steadying presence after a series of commissioners, while focusing on her philosophy of precision policing. The excellent results are clear in the CompStat data.
We don’t yet know if the police commissioner will report directly to the mayor or to the first deputy mayor, but either way, she is the commissioner, she is the police professional. Let Mamdani be the mayor and let Tisch be the commissioner.
Mamdani wrongly (and illegally) wants to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, due to his fanatical hardline position against Israel, a country whose very existence he opposes. Tisch, a proud Jew and a proud Zionist, who wore a Hebrew dog tag in solidarity with the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, must ignore any such order by Mamdani and should give Netanyahu an honor guard due any visiting foreign dignitary.
Mamdani also wrongly wants to end the arrest of pimps and johns who victimize people trapped in prostitution. Here again, Tisch must ignore Mamdani and keep arresting pimps and johns.
Tisch must not cave on her views that bail reform in Albany went too far (which it did) and that state’s “raise the age” law should be reversed. She also needs to have the final say on officer discipline, not surrendering it to the Civilian Complaint Review Board, as Mamdani has indicated he wants.
At the most recent NYPD graduation ceremony, held the day before Election Day, Tisch told the new officers that “We’re on pace for the highest hiring year since record keeping began more than four decades ago.” And “we got here focusing on the most strategic thing this department can do: hire more cops.”
She wants more cops, as does the public. Mamdani should listen and get the additional officers that Tisch says she needs to carry out the mission. It may anger his most extreme left wing followers, but it will make for a better city and a better mayoralty for Mamdani.
