Mayor de Blasio Appoints Jimmy O’Neill as Police Commissioner

August 2, 2016

Architect of NYPD’s Neighborhood Policing Program pledges to strengthen relationship between police and community

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that Jimmy O’Neill will serve as New York City’s next Police Commissioner. As Chief of Department, O’Neill has been the architect of the NYPD’s neighborhood policing program, a growing initiative to strengthen the relationship between police and the communities they serve.

“As the architect of our neighborhood policing program, Jimmy O’Neill has built a national model for bringing police and the community together to fight crime. As the top-ranking uniformed member of the NYPD, Jimmy has spent each day ensuring that New York City remains the safest big city in America. Thanks to Bill Bratton, crime is at record lows and our police force is the most sophisticated and technologically advanced department in the country. Our next Police Commissioner's decades of experience make him uniquely qualified to continue building on these incredible public safety achievements,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“I'm honored to have this opportunity to further serve this great city and the world's best police department. I want to thank Mayor de Blasio for his approval and confidence in offering me this position, which for a career cop is a dream of a lifetime. This is a bittersweet moment for me; Police Commissioner Bratton has been a mentor to me both professionally and personally. He has given us a fast ship – as he so often says – and left this department in impressive shape. I am honored to have my friend Ben Tucker continue as the First Deputy Commissioner. This is truly a shared responsibility – our ability to fight crime and build trust‎ cannot be done alone. It must be done together.” said Chief of Department Jimmy O’Neill.

"Jim O'Neill's acumen as a tough cop was honed in the subways, the streets, and later running precincts, narcotics and fugitive apprehension. But few understand the human side of policing better than Jim O'Neill. As Chief, his innovative NCO program is not only making communities safer, it has brought police and the people together. Jim has all it takes to lead the NYPD into the future,” said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton.

O’Neill brings over 30 years of hands-on experience, tactical knowledge and operational expertise with the NYPD to his role as Police Commissioner. As Chief of Department, O’Neill reorganized the department’s command structure, led CompStat, and – through neighborhood policing, targeted enforcement and precision resource deployment – helped achieve the largest crime reduction in City history. Starting with his first job patrolling the A and D subway lines overnight in the 1980s, O’Neill has risen through the ranks at NYPD, serving in nearly every uniformed position in the force, before his 2014 appointment to Chief of Department.

About Jimmy O’Neill:

Born and raised in East Flatbush, Jimmy O’Neill has spent over thirty years serving in the New York Police Department. O’Neill first began his career on patrol in Transit District 1, and was promoted to Sergeant in September 1987; Sergeant Special Assignment in April 1991; Lieutenant in August 1992; Lieutenant Special Assignment in August 1995; Captain in November 1997; Deputy Inspector in December 2001; Inspector in August 2003; and Deputy Chief in October 2005.

O’Neill He has served in Transit Districts 1, 3, and 11; the Firearms Training Section; the Police Academy; and the Warrant Section. He was the Executive Officer of the 52nd Precinct and SATCOM Detective-Narcotic Operations, and was Commanding Officer of the 25th, 44th, and Central Park Precincts; the Vice Enforcement Division; the Narcotics Division; the Fugitive Enforcement Division; and the Office of the Police Commissioner. On June 2, 2014, he was named Chief of Patrol and on November 3, 2014, Chief of Department – the highest uniformed member of the service.

O’Neill holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and a Master of Public Administration degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He has taught criminal justice at CUNY Rockland and has taught reading at Literacy Partners. A Rangers fan, O’Neill is an avid ice hockey and roller hockey player, as well as a bicyclist and motorcyclist.