Just because a band gets a new lead singer doesn’t mean the tune of their songs has changed. Infact, sometimes bands will put a new face behind the centerstage microphone just to give off the deception of “change.” In reality, familiarity with the sound, melodies, and lyrics takes over once the bright lights come on. Although NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch was an against-the-grain appointment replacement for her embattled predecessor, Edward Caban, she’s still maintaining the department’s status quo internally.
Yes, Tisch never rose through the ranks or put on the uniform. But as a billionaire heiress and lifelong governmental bureaucrat – by choice, of course – one would be crazy to think she’s forced the good ‘ole cops to get a long overdue makeover. Never was this more evident than during her back-and-forth interrogation with Progressive Councilmember Oswald Feliz during Wednesday’s hearing on the NYPD’s staffing & overtime issues.
“I can give you the net numbers,” Tisch said confidently when grilled by Feliz about the department’s year-over-year hiring. Beneath the presented net numbers – which account for the total number of officers brought on when factoring in yearly retirements – lies a far more troubling tale.
The NYPD is bleeding out cops faster than a shooting victim loses blood after being struck by a stray bullet. Take fiscal year 2024 as an example, where the department added a net total of 12 new officers, per Tisch. Accounting for the ~2,632 cops who were hired, that would mean the department lost roughly the same number. With the department net gaining ~800 cops in 2025 when 4,056 were hired, they would’ve lost ~3,200 cops – an ~600-person increase from the year prior.
Although the department has increased its hiring efforts, officers are leaving at increasing numbers year-over-year. However, because of Tisch’s deliberately evasive presentation, the most important details were obscured. Had Feliz or other members of the City Council probed further, be it through increased preparation about the source of the hefty overtime figures or follow-up questions about what the figures meant, the evidence would’ve revealed a more harrowing reality.
As indicated by the department’s payroll, the stem and root of the overtime fiasco can be traced back to senior level supervisory ranking members of service receiving exuberant amounts of overtime. Had the problem been correctly identified, the hearing could’ve revolved around cutting down their overtime hours through a variety of combative measures. Instead, the discussion turned towards hiring more cops and reallocating certain responsibilities to school safety agents – remedies which have previously proven to be unsuccessful.
There’s a reason why four of the top five earning individuals on the 2025 payroll were Lieutenants. Senior level supervisory employees raking in high overtime rates have proven to account for most of the payroll spending. Why not fix the issue? Naturally, some of them actually need to work large amounts of overtime. But if the overtime spending truly is to be slimmed down, then it needs to involve more evenly distributing the hours or reshuffling the deck so that senior supervisory ranking members aren’t earning in excess of $300,000 a year.
Period. End of story. The main problem likely hasn’t been addressed because the excessive overtime is engrained in the systemic failures of the department. Large amounts of hours and certain lucrative posts are handed out as a “reward” or way to show favoritism, while certain positions allow people to unnecessarily put in for overtime – i.e. driving a Chief. The tough questions weren’t asked and the difficult conversations weren’t had because having them would require an overhaul of the internal governance of the system itself.
Given that many of the administration’s cronies are benefiting from such arrangements, they aren’t willing to do that. Putting band aids on broken bones, manufacturing false narratives, and avoiding the main issues has proven to be much easier. With the overtime scandal specialist in First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella sitting at her side, Commissioner Tisch’s performance was particularly disappointing because it showed that negligent enablement was more important than honesty.
Same band; new lead singer.