SO. Zohran Mamdani will ask Jessica Tisch to stay on as NYPD commissioner if he’s elected mayor: sources
Mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani plans to ask Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to stay on as the NYPD’s top cop if he’s elected, The Post has confirmed.
The decision — first reported by the New York Times Wednesday evening — comes as Mamdani, 34, continues to face criticism over his past anti-NYPD comments and struggles to reassure anxious New Yorkers that gains against crime under Tisch’s much-hailed leadership won’t be lost.
State Sen. Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn), a Democratic Socialists of America ally of Mamdani who was briefed on the decision, confirmed the move.
“He’s been told by a number of business groups that safety is their key concern and they want her to stay on,” a source close to Mamdani’s campaign added. “Campaign insiders have been trying to push him to this.”
Follow The Post’s live coverage of the final 2025 NYC Mayoral Debate
But the source said it’s unclear if Tisch — who has avowed tough-on-crime stances seemingly at odds with Mamdani’s views — would say yes.
Sources close to Mamdani confirmed that the Democratic socialist and Tisch have spoken about her staying on as commissioner, with one noting he’ll likely address the potentially momentous decision during the second and final mayoral debate that evening.
Disclosing the offer also publicly puts pressure on Tisch, 44, a scion of a powerful billionaire family who has developed a sterling reputation in her decades as a public servant.
Tisch had previously served civilian positions in the NYPD, including commissioner for its information technology and telecommunication department under former Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Here are some highlights from the final 2025 NYC mayoral debate
- The 5 most notable moments from the final NYC mayoral debate
- Andrew Cuomo skewers Zohran Mamdani on ‘freeze the rent’ policy in fiery NYC mayoral debate moment: ‘Political blather’
- Andrew Cuomo mocks Zohran Mamdani over anti-Israel stance during NYC mayoral debate: ‘You are the savior of the Jewish people?’
- Andrew Cuomo declares Trump will knock Zohran Mamdani on his ‘tuchus’ if he’s elected NYC mayor
Her tech tenure was marked by the department launching its body-worn camera and smartphone programs.
Mayor Eric Adams in 2022 then tapped Tisch to head the Sanitation Department.
Under Tisch’s leadership, the department made several anti-rat moves and rolled out the city’s first official trash bin for homeowners.
As Adams faced a leadership crisis atop the NYPD, he appointed the well-regarded Tisch in 2024 to become his fourth police commissioner.
Tisch’s police department stewardship has been widely praised as she rooted out problem officials and oversaw a dramatic decline in crime.
The turnaround inspired hopeful chatter that New York City’s next mayor would keep Tisch in charge — and Mamdani, despite his differences with the tough-on-crime technocrat, began signaling he’d do so.
Likewise, Mamdani’s chief electoral rival, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, this week said he’d ask her to stay if elected.
NYPD spokeswoman Delaney Kempner declined to comment on the move, pointing The Post to Tisch’s prior comments.
“As I’ve said many times, it is not appropriate for the police commissioner to be directly involved or to seem to be involved in electoral politics,” Tisch said previously.
