Sunnyside native Dermot Shea sworn in as new NYPD commissioner
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Sunnyside native Dermot Shea was sworn in as the 44th commissioner of the NYPD on Monday. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office.
By Jonathan Sperling
Dermot Shea was officially sworn in as New York City’s police commissioner on Monday, nearly a month after former top cop James O’Neill announced his resignation.
Shea, a Sunnyside native, will take over amid a period of decreasing crime citywide and tension between cops and the communities they serve.
At Monday’s swearing-in ceremony, Shea thanked his predecessors, O’Neill and Bill Bratton, as well as Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker, and promised to bolster neighborhood policing and invest in the city’s young people. Shea also highlighted the dramatic drop in violent crime in the city compared to when he graduated from the police academy in 1991, while pledging to crack down on crime.
“Let me be clear: I don’t want to see one more child killed. I don’t want to see one more young person shot. I don’t want to see one more completely avoidable funeral,” Shea said.
Shea is the son of Irish immigrants who settled in Queens during the 1950s. After joining the NYPD, he was assigned to the 46th Precinct in the Bronx. He pointed out that the year he joined the force, more than 2,100 murders were reported to the NYPD.
After his time at the 46th Precinct, Shea went on to work as an officer in the 24th, 46th and 52nd Precincts, as well as in the Narcotics Division. He also led the 50th Precinct and 44th Precinct, the latter of which covered Yankee Stadium — a tough assignment for Shea, who identifies as a “die-hard Mets fan.” He also served as executive officer of the 47th Precinct and as a detective in Manhattan South borough command.
On Monday, Shea discussed the number of open-air drug deals and widespread poverty he witnessed during his early career. This often affected community-police relations, Shea said.
“Oftentimes, people were scared to talk to the police because of retribution by drug dealers. Back then, tips were whispered in hushed tones as you passed in a hallway,” Shea said.
In the years since Shea became a cop, major crimes have hit historic lows, especially under the tenure of Shea’s predecessor, O’Neill. Meanwhile, calls for police accountability have also intensified, particularly in the wake of several high-profile shootings of unarmed people of color.
In August, O’Neill made the decision to fire NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo, more than five years after Pantaleo put Staten Island resident Eric Garner, who is black, in a banned chokehold that led to Garner’s death.
Shea touted the department’s commitment to “less-intrusive enforcement,” and the reduction of street-stops.
“As your police commissioner, everything I’ve described is at the heart of what we do. To be trusted with protecting people is a solemn and sacred responsibility. And, at the same time, it’s an absolute privilege,” Shea said.
