The heiress to New York’s sanitary commissioner goes from the war on rats to the war on crime.

Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday named Jessica Tisch the second woman to serve as police commissioner of the nation’s largest city as he worked to stabilize his administration amid an upcoming corruption case and multiple federal investigations.

Tisch replaces interim top cop Tom Donlon and former Police Commissioner Edward Caban, the Adams appointee who resigned in September amid an investigation into the NYPD’s enforcement of nightclub rules.

City residents “need a strong, proven leader who will continue to reduce crime and ensure New Yorkers are safe and feel safe,” Adams said in a statement. “I can think of no leader better suited to this task than Commissioner Jessica Tisch.”

Tisch currently heads the city’s massive $1.9 billion waste and recycling operation. In that key role, Tisch made headlines in 2022 when, announcing a war on rodents, she said: “Rats don’t run this city. We do.”

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Her appointment capped an effort by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to clean house and stabilize the city following Adams’ Sept. 26 indictment on federal bribery charges and a wave of search warrants targeting his inner circle, according to two people. familiar with the subject.

Adams has pleaded not guilty and will be tried in April.

In addition to Caban, the former police commissioner, Adams City Hall has also seen the departure of two deputy mayors, the school chancellor, two close advisers and numerous other administration and police officials, all of whom were served with federal subpoenas in at least three months confronted. investigations into corruption.

Before leading what is billed as the largest sanitation department in the world, Tisch served as deputy police commissioner for information technology and citywide commissioner for information technology. Her father is billionaire James Tisch, CEO of Loews Corp. and former chairman of CBS.

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“I have witnessed firsthand the profound nobility of the police profession, and I was proud to work shoulder-to-shoulder with both uniformed members and civilians to propel the NYPD into the next century of technological advancement,” Tisch said in a statement.

Acting Commissioner Donlon, a Bronx-born former FBI official, had reportedly wanted to remain at the top of the NYPD. His chief of staff, Tarik Sheppard, would also be considered for the position. The two had to be separated last month during a public row ahead of the New York Marathon.

“Are we going to have meetings where people are going to disagree about something as passionate as themselves?” When asked about the dust cloud, Adams said it was a major breach of police discipline. ‘Yes, we are. And just because you’re fighting with your spouse, your child, your business partner, doesn’t mean you don’t love them, that you don’t love them.”

Tisch worked as a civilian employee of the NYPD for twelve years.

The city’s Legal Aid Society said it was “hopeful that the appointment of Jessica Tisch as commissioner of the NYPD will bring widespread change to a city agency in dire need of reform.”

The group, which represents low-income criminal defendants, noted Tisch’s role as “a driving force behind the NYPD’s increased use of surveillance technology, a practice that should be curtailed and subject to more robust oversight.”

The appointment received high marks elsewhere.

“Jessie Tisch brings proven management skills and deep knowledge of the NYPD to the role of commissioner,” said Kathryn Wylde, CEO of Partnership for New York, a nonprofit representing New York’s corporate giants. “In this particular time, it is important to have a manager with a reputation for strong leadership.”

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eric Adams appoints Jessica Tisch as new NYPD commissioner