New York City has a new police commissioner. Jessica Tisch is now the second woman to lead the nation’s largest police department. In naming Tisch as commissioner, Mayor Eric Adams pushed back against criticism that she would have difficulty leading the department because she was never a sworn officer.

Tisch’s family immigrated to the United States in 1904 from Ukraine, according to an essay written by her uncle Andrew Tisch. The family patriarch, Avraham Tichinsky, attended the City College of New York, where he was captain of the school’s basketball team, Andrew Tisch wrote.

"The police exist to eliminate fear and disorder... and they do a damn good job of it," the new top cop said. "We will continue to do that most important foundational work to make you safe, make you feel safe and to improve the quality of life across the city.