NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- For NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch, the anti-Jewish protests, vandalism and harassment that have plagued the city since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks is personal to her.
"As a Jewish mother and daughter born and raised in this city, it was chilling to see the symbols of antisemitism plastered to walls, displayed at rallies and painted on subway cars," Tisch, sworn in as the 48th NYPD commissioner in November, told attendees Tuesday at the Anti-Defamation League's Never Is Now Summit at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Recalling the immediate aftermath of the attacks, Tisch, 43, said, "Right here in New York, the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel anywhere in the world, anti-Jewish hate was on full display...It was so open, so shameless, so empowered. And it shook the foundations of what we thought being Jewish in New York City meant."
But it wasn't just personal to Tisch because she is Jewish -- it was personal because she is the city's top law enforcement official.
"Obviously, this is very personal to me -- as a Jew, as a New Yorker, and as your police commissioner, " she told the crowd, which peppered her remarks with applause.
In fact, she said, referring to her swearing-in ceremony in November, "As a Jew, I was so humbled at the outpouring of thanks and appreciation that I received from around the world after I was sworn in wearing my Magen David [Star of David necklace]."
Tisch said the NYPD is determined to stop anti-Jewish activity in the city, and those responsible for it.
"There was fear there was anger there was helplessness and let's be honest, there still is, but there is also clarity about what needs to be done and how the New York City Police Department will do it," she said at the ADL gathering.
She said. "In the past 17 months we've dealt with thousands of anti-Israel protests across the five boroughs." According to Tisch, on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic crimes in NYC were down 20% for the year, but from that day to the end of 2023, they jumped up 80%. And in 2024 they rose another 7% and represented 54% of all hate crimes reported in the city.
And taking direct aim at the protests at the likes of Columbia University, NYU and other schools, she said, "Many of the college campus protests were especially despicable, with open blatant displays of intolerance. Jewish students were harassed and intimidated and threatened. Buildings were ransacked and campus life was completely upended."
Tisch also pointed out that "in many cases, the protesters' target was not -- and is not Israeli policy or geopolitics or even the horrors of war -- but the Jewish people themselves."
And she said she has the backing of the force. "I wanna be very clear: I speak on behalf of the women and men of the NYPD when I say much of this rhetoric is vile."
And in a nod to free speech, she said, "At the same time, as an organization whose members have sworn an oath to support, to protect and to defend the Constitution, the NYPD will follow the law and we will uphold the First Amendment even when the protective language is deeply offensive to our own sensibilities. But make no mistake: anyone who commits a crime will be arrested. They will be held accountable, and our city will not go backwards. Not on my watch."
She continued, "As your police commissioner, I promise that the NYPD will continue to combat antisemitism no matter where the threats originate, and our hate crimes task force will remain on the front lines of this fight."
"And we at the NYPD have the backing of everyday New Yorkers who know that the most diverse city on the planet must be and will be a place where everyone can live and work and worship free from fear. This is not just our hope for the future. It is our fundamental responsibility right now."