Dermot Shea named the next NYPD Police Commissioner
Nov. 4, 2019 By Shane O’Brien
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new NYPD Police Commissioner Monday.
Dermot Shea, who was raised in Sunnyside along with his four siblings by Irish parents, will take over as Commissioner on Dec. 1.
Shea, currently the NYPD’s Chief of Detectives, began serving as a police officer with the NYPD in 1991, a year when New York City faced more than 2,000 murders. He rose through the ranks and took command of the 44th and 50th Precincts in the Bronx before becoming Chief of Detectives.
“Dermot Shea is a proven change agent, using precision policing to fight crime and build trust between police and communities,” de Blasio said in making the announcement. “As Chief of Crime Control Strategies and then Chief of Detectives, Dermot was one of the chief architects of the approach that has made New York City the safest big city in America.”
However, Shea’s background was not universally lauded, with Assembly Member Catalina Cruz–who represents Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona–tweeting:
Assembly Member Catalina Cruz
“At a time when the relationship between police and communities of color couldn’t be worse – we chose yet another white guy? We have many qualified men and women of color within the @NYPDnews
who could lead the force in the right direction. What gives?” she tweeted.
Shea, at a press conference today, said that he aims to target gang-related violence, take guns off the street and continue to reduce crime in his new role.
“Every New Yorker deserves to be safe and feel safe, and that has been my mission since I took the oath and became a police officer 28 years ago. As Police Commissioner, this will be what drives me,” Shea said.
De Blasio also paid homage to Shea’s predecessor James O’Neill, who announced his resignation on Monday.
“On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want to express deep gratitude to Jimmy O’Neill for dedicating his entire career to keeping our city safe,” de Blasio said. “Jimmy transformed the relationship between New Yorkers and police, and helped to make the Department the most sophisticated and advanced in the country.”
O’Neill has served as Police Commissioner for three years and presided over the lowest crime rates in New York City since the NYPD started tracking crime rates in the 1950s.
The outgoing commissioner said that his replacement would continue his work in lowering crime rates in New York City.
“Dermot Shea has exactly the experience and skill to continue to drive down crime, strengthen relationships with the community members we serve and make sure every neighborhood has the safety they deserve,” O’Neill said.
At a time when the relationship between police and communities of color couldn’t be worse – we chose yet another white guy? We have many qualified men and women of color within the @NYPDnews who could lead the force in the right direction. What gives? ??♀️??♀️ #ICantEven https://t.co/FvGGYctL6L
— Catalina Cruz, Esq. (@CatalinaCruzNY) November 4, 2019
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28 Comments
In Jackson heights. Most Hispanic are racists.
So true
Wonder why…
Ah yes our racist assembly woman. Man got on the job at 20 excelled at every civil service promotion test. Sided with the commissioner on the firing of a cop that did his job. That’s not enough? Hey nena?? where were you when drugs were being dealt by the kilo and millions laundered through set ups on Roosevelt avenue?? .
Racism offends me!
I just sent this racist twit an email. I suggest everyone else do the same.
JVB, why so quiet???? A son of Sunnyside becomes the top cop in the city, and a Queens Assemblywoman makes a racist, disparaging remark about him. You should put out a statement, not a tweet.
Ditto for Danny Dromm.
Did anyone tell the president?!?!
It will take more than a few sentences to comment responsibly about her tweet. When you hold office, you need to be careful with your words.
This is not about Trump. That’s a distraction.
> You should put out a statement, not a tweet
I can’t believe you’d criticize our president like that you socialist. Suggesting the tantrums he throws on the platform aren’t relevant?!
I’m waiting for a day when people won’t talk about current issues based on color. Anf hopefully by then color means any color rather than only two kinds which I’m even afraid of naming them because I could have been accused of being racist while the ones who call me out are actually racist. This is a country that has all color of skins. Stop telling innocent working people to support your political ideas but let them have more time to spend with their family, to teach their children to respect all culture, to teach their children to be good people, to learn a skill to advance their careers, to more appropriate this world. Climate change? Go grow trees while listening to green new deals everyday. Mass shootings?Build more mental health clinical support and havemore family supports. If you have time to listen to or watch these news, you might have had time to listen to someone who really wants to be heard. Go vote! But you know you’ll end up somewhere better by taking the actions.
I can’t believe the amount of down votes on these comments…it’s amazing how Latinos are eager to label themselves victims, but are VERY racist against white people and all other ethnicities.
Latinos feel inferior to other races. You don’t hear Asians complaining.
Jackson Heights is getting worst with the criminals & vandalism. She should be working with 115pct to make the streets safer.
Cruz and Ramos and AOC all add more fuel to the fire by being anti – cop . They want to make it harder for the Police do their job and easier for the criminals to get away with things
Only Cruz made this comment explicitly. Aoc and Ramos are actual progressives and don’t spew this kind of thing.
AOC blames white people for climate change.
They are all part of the same problem. Jackson Heights was a beautiful place to live decades ago. Beautiful homes, nice people. I don’t recognize it anymore. Maybe Millennials will move in and upgrade the place.
She thinks people should get jobs based on the color of their skin.
Re the out going/and/or new Police Chiefs, Let’s see the legal aid society and identity obsessed Cruz is against this guy on one extreme side and the police union is against him on the other extreme side.
He must be ok.
Catalina Shmatalina she only got elected because she promised people unicorns. Essentially bribed voters with their own money or other tax payers money. She’s a joke.
“We chose yet another white guy?”
I can’t believe Cruz would tweet such a racist comment. Shameful.
I wonder how it would go over if a white representative made a similar comment along the lines of “they chose a black/Hispanic guy?” They chose a qualified individual that the rank and file would respect and get behind; someone that has their backs. Full. Stop.
Catalina Cruz is a racist and owes the new Commissioner an apology. Stop voting these idiots into office because they happen to have Latin names, they’re not on our side.
So, he’s not qualified or deserving of the job because he’s just another ‘white guy’? Should someone ‘of color’ who was less deserving or qualified, received the task because of what they look like, or where they grew up? This quote was taken from an Assembly person?? Pay attention to who you vote for, and what hidden agendas they may have! NYC will continue to move backwards if politicians and media outlets continue to stoke the dumpster fire, which is “racial tensions”. Without respect, there is no justice.
Exactly! I just sent her an email. Everyone should do the same. I don’t expect a response. But I do expect this twit to understand that what she said was racist.
If a white person said we dont need another Hispanic the white person would be called a racist.
What the heck does being white have to do with making NYC safer? Im more left leaning and a Hispanic and still find Cruz’s comments racist and unnecessary.