POLICE COMMISSIONER TISCH ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE STAFF APPOINTMENTS

December 19, 2024

Leadership team ushers in new era of NYPD excellence and innovation

New York, New York – New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch today announced several executive-staff level appointments to begin to transform the NYPD’s leadership team. These new designations are central to the administration’s mission to innovate, modernize, and improve public safety and quality of life in every New York City neighborhood.

“This group of skilled and experienced leaders will answer the public call to transform NYPD technology, modernize our fleet, and elevate the department’s voice to make Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect central to our communication and interaction with the people we serve,” said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “New Yorkers should have every confidence that these appointments make their police department stronger, our service better, and our city safer. I thank these professionals, and I look forward to working with them as we further reduce crime and increase public trust.”

Delaney Kempner will serve as Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. Ms. Kempner has spent more than a decade at the top levels of state government – including the last four years as Director of Communications for New York State Attorney General Letitia James. Ms. Kempner is well versed in the fast-moving, dynamic world of the nation’s largest media market, and possesses a strong fluency in law enforcement communications. In the course of her career at the local and state levels, she has served as an on-the-record spokesperson; developed compelling and resonant messaging; coordinated media outreach plans and policies; managed written, digital, and video communications; and directed rapid response for a wide range of breaking news and public events. Ms. Kempner now brings her considerable skill and experience to the NYPD, where she will connect our officers with the people they serve in newly effective and innovative ways – and tell the story of the greatest police department in the world. Ms. Kempner will assume her position on January 13, 2025, and Assistant Commissioner Carlos Nieves will serve as acting DCPI in the interim.

Kristine Ryan will serve as Deputy Commissioner of Management and Budget. Ms. Ryan returns to this critical role after a year serving as Chief Administrative Officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, where she oversaw all fiscal, administrative, and policy functions of the MTAPD. Ms. Ryan comes back to lead the NYPD’s Management and Budget Bureau for a second time – a post she held from February 2020 through the end of 2023 – where she will again serve as the department’s chief financial officer. Ms. Ryan will bring integrity and oversight, as she coordinates and overseesthe NYPD’s financial planning, procurement of goods and services, capital construction, payment of expenditures, processing of contracts, and the department fleet. She will also be responsible for safeguarding, producing, and maintaining the integrity of all property coming into the custody of the department, including evidence, and the management and maintenance of department facilities. Prior to joining the NYPD, Ms. Ryan spent two decades working in the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, where she served as the Deputy Budget Director responsible for budgetary oversight of New York City’s criminal justice, public safety, and administrative agencies. Ms. Ryan will assume her position on January 2, 2025.

Yisroel Hecht will serve as Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology. Currently serving as the Deputy Commissioner of Infrastructure Management for the New York City Office of Technology and Innovation, Mr. Hecht has more than 25 years of experience driving large-scale innovation, modernization, and resilience across mission-critical systems. His career as a senior IT executive has seen him serve in leadership roles across multiple New York City agencies, including as: NYPD Director of IT Services, where he worked closely with Commissioner Tisch to design and implement major technological advances in the police department; Chief Information Security Officer for the City of New York; and Associate Commissioner of Network and Telecommunications in the New York City Department of Information Technology. Mr. Hecht’s work at DoITT during the global COVID-19 pandemic kept the city running, and gave New Yorkers the support and access to information they needed to navigate the crisis. Mr. Hecht is widely recognized for delivering secure, scalable solutions that empower public safety and operational efficiency. He will lead transformative technological change that will enable the NYPD to better serve the public, and keep every New York City neighborhood safe. Mr. Hecht will assume his position on December 30, 2024.

Alex Crohn will serve as Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives. Mr. Crohn brings extensive leadership experience in criminal justice policy and government consulting, having previously served as Executive Director of the NYPD’s Office of Research and Innovation from 2020 – 2022, where he developed cutting-edge public-safety technologies and strategic policies. Mr. Crohn also previously served as NYPD Director of Strategic Projects and Executive Agency Counsel, where he spearheaded efforts to gauge www.nyc.gov/nypd www.nypdnews.com public opinion and community response to policing strategies across the city. He has held key roles advising state and local government agencies, including as Associate Director at Guidehouse and Assistant Counsel in the Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo. A graduate of Harvard Law School and Columbia University, Alex brings superior expertise in fostering data-driven solutions and transformative policies to advance public safety. Mr. Crohn will assume his position on January 2, 2025.

Steven Harte will serve as Deputy Commissioner of Support Services. With a distinguished career spanning more than two decades, Mr. Harte has led large-scale projects in several public-safety sectors, including technology, fleet management, and emergency services. Mr. Harte recently served as Deputy Commissioner of Support Services in the New York City Department of Sanitation, where he oversaw solid waste management operations, facilities, and fleet operations – ensuring the seamless delivery of essential city services every day. Previously, he held leadership roles as Assistant Commissioner at both the NYPD and NYC DoITT, where he managed multi-million dollar capital improvements in support of the city’s critical public-safety infrastructure. Mr. Harte will assume his position on December 30, 2024.