Transcript: Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Tisch Delivers Remarks at NYPD Graduation

August 6, 2025

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch: Good morning graduates, and good morning to everyone, especially the family and the friends of our newest police officers. I want to start by thanking Mayor Adams for being here today and for his continued support of this department.

On behalf of the entire NYPD, let me be the very first to say congratulations on this incredible achievement. Over the last six months you faced early mornings, long days, and demands that pushed you further than you thought you could go. But you didn't quit, you kept going, and that's how you got here.

And make no mistake, you did not get here on your own. Behind every one of you is a family and friends that make sacrifices, an instructor who set the standard, and a support system that never let up. To all those who stood by our officers, you are part of this moment too, so thank you.

This is a proud day, but one that arrives under the shadow of an unimaginable loss. Last week we laid Detective 1st Grade Didarul Islam to rest. Detective Islam embodied the kind of strength that this department is built on. He approached the work with seriousness, he protected this city with conviction, and he served with a steadiness that never called attention to itself, but also never wavered.

You did not know him, but the role that you have chosen, the one he gave everything to, is yours now. His death was devastating to the city, and to this department, but what will matter long after the headlines fade, is what we do with the weight of that loss. That means approaching the job the way he did, and carrying forward his legacy through the choices you make, through the judgment you show, and the steadiness that you bring to this job, especially when no one is watching.

Two of your classmates know that responsibility in a deeply personal way. Police Officer [Melina Matos] and Police Officer [Kaylin Villa] are carrying forward the legacy of their uncle and their cousin, Detective Rafael Ramos, who gave his life in service to this city. Their decision to step forward is a powerful reminder of what service means and what it demands.

And, yet, some people like to proclaim that the age of heroes has passed, that in a world defined by complexity and by chaos, the idea of clear-cut courage feels outdated. They're wrong, because even after seeing one of our own killed in the line of duty, you still showed up. Even after watching chaos strike the heart of this city, you still showed up. When the risk felt real and the sacrifice felt close, you all still showed up.

And that courage, it didn't come from one place, from one background, or from one story. It came from the 965 of you here today, officers who reflect every corner of this city and far beyond it. More than a quarter of you, like Detective Islam, were born outside of the United States, representing 41 countries and speaking 39 different languages.

You come from every borough and from countries and communities around the world. You were born in places as close as the Bronx and as far away as South Korea, from the mountains of Nepal to the streets of Santo Domingo, from Bangladesh, Ghana, and the Philippines to Poland, Jamaica, and Colombia. From Haiti, from Egypt, from China, 121 of you served or continue to serve in our country's armed forces. You represent the full breadth of this city, a reflection of all of the people who make it great.

Now, this is a big day for you, but it is a bigger day for the New York City Police Department. I have felt the tide turning for policing generally and specifically for policing in this city for quite some time now, and the symbolism of welcoming nearly a thousand new officers into our ranks, the largest class since 2016. It is not lost on me and it should not be lost on any of you. This is a department and a profession that is once again attracting young and bright talent in big numbers, and that is a blessing to our city.

Already, some of you have been tested. Just a few weeks ago, while on vacation with his family in Pennsylvania, Police Officer Jacob Gonzalez was at a water park when he saw a man pull an unconscious three-year-old boy named Niall from the pool. Niall was unresponsive and he wasn't breathing. Without hesitation, Officer Gonzalez identified himself as NYPD, took Niall into his arms, and began administering CPR exactly how he was trained in the academy. For six straight minutes, he worked on Niall, refusing to give up until finally, blessedly, Niall started to cough and he opened his eyes.

Doctors later told the family that if Officer Gonzalez hadn't acted when he did, Niall would not have survived. Those are the instincts that this job demands, the ability to stay calm in the face of panic and to trust your training when there's no time to think. Officer Gonzalez was ready, and because of that, not only is Niall alive, but I am happy to share that he and his family are here today to celebrate this moment with Officer Gonzalez.

Stories like this, they get to the heart of what this job really is and the nobility that comes with doing it right. Starting today, New Yorkers will look to you for help on some of the darkest days of their lives. It won't matter if you've been on the job for a day or for a decade. All that will matter is that you show up with courtesy, with professionalism, and with respect.

You are now the future of the NYPD and the future of this city. I could not be prouder to welcome you into the greatest police department in the world. Thank you all for answering the call to serve and for choosing to make this department and our great city stronger. God bless.

Mayor Eric Adams: I believe this headline says it all. Disarmed. Disarmed. I remember when I retired from the Police Department and I was sitting down sharing a meal with Jordan, my son, and he looked at me and he said, “Dad, are you all right?” And I said, yes, I am. And he reached his hand across the table and he touched mine to stop me from eating and he looked me in my eye and he said, “Dad, are you all right?” And I realized I wasn't.

I realized after 22 years of seeing some of the most despicable things human beings can do to each other, I realized I attempted to laugh it off like many of us in the Police Department we do. I realized that there were times when I thought a good drink would make me forget about it. I realized those nights of not fully having good sleep. I realized that I pushed back and thought that I could suppress what I was truly feeling.

I realized those moments of watching people walk into the 88 precinct, the 94 precinct or transit district. I realized going to communities where I told loved ones and family members that although someone in a neighborhood lost their life, that things were fine when, in fact, it was not fine. I realized that crack had became a permanent part of our cities and families were being destroyed for it.

I realized how much 22 years can do to you. And so as many of you are now graduating, I'm going to ask you not to make the mistake that I made. As you deal with the ups and downs of this job and some of the trauma that comes with it, do not suppress it. Do not hold it in. We have entities in the department and in the city that are here for you. There's a reason that police departments and police officers have the highest level of divorce, our numbers of suicides, the trauma that we experience, we have a tendency to displace it on those who love us.

And those of you who are now going to be part of this law enforcement family, your loved ones, your family members, your children, watch them. Look at them and see if there's a difference in their pattern or behavior. See if there's something that's just not right because they're going to need you more than ever.

Mommy used to pray for my brother and I when we did patrol and it was a weight off her shoulders when we retired because she spent every night with us. And she understood the pain and uncertainty of what we were experiencing and even when we lost an officer, she knew it was not her sons but she still could not breathe clearer because she knew that another mother mourned, another father mourned, another family member mourned.

This is a joyous occasion beyond belief. The occupation that you are going in and entering right now, the level of diversity and uncertainty of what happens in the day is just beyond your imagination. It is one of if not the most exciting careers you can have. I loved every day being a police officer, a sergeant, a lieutenant and leaving as a captain. And all of the ups and downs part of the journey and how we dealt with it defined us.

You are going to be able to be on the front line of seeing what happens in this city. Some of it is full of joy, in fact most of it is full of joy, but there will be dark moments. But those dark moments don't have to be a burial, they can be a planting. But you have the obligation of keeping this city safe from those who want to harm New Yorkers.

And think about it, 25 percent of you were born outside of this country and you come from different places and in this country you're not told to put your country second, you're told to put it first. You're not American-Korean, you're not American-Chinese, you're not American-German, not American-Polish, no America says you put your country first. I'm an African-American, a Chinese-American, a Polish-American. That's who we are and that's what makes us great.

That's the product we have that makes this the greatest country on the globe and we're the greatest city on the globe and it's called NYC. And we're great because of four letters, NYPD. You water the tree with your sacrifice and commitment that all of us sit under the shade of peace and prosperity. And that's the obligation. You run towards danger when others run away. And Officer Mora, Rivera, Diller, and Officer Islam, they're representatives of that, of who we are.

I was proud to wear that uniform. I was proud to serve. It made me the mayor that I am today. And we were committed to bringing down crime and making sure our city was safe to raise healthy children and families. We removed almost 23,000 illegal guns off our streets. That is an astonishing accomplishment and the commitment and dedication of this police commissioner and her team, we've witnessed the lowest number of shootings and victims of shootings in the last seven months in the recorded history of this city.

In the first six months of this year, we witnessed the lowest number of homicides in the recorded history of this city. And what is it about? As I sat here in this chair, I looked over to the right. This gentleman and his family, the two young boys that are sitting there, they both have the NYPD t-shirt on their back. They're playful, they're joyful. Have them stand up.

And looks like mommy has a newborn in her hand. That family there, folks, that is what we're fighting for. This is who we are. This is what we represent. And so when someone sees the police blue uniform and they think of a police officer, I want to remember that they're also parents, their spouses, their sons, their daughters, their uncles and nieces and nephews. They're human beings.

They chose to make this call to serve for the city. Something that I did, my brother did, my cousins did, and many of you are coming from lineage of those who served. Let's continue to ensure that this is the safest big city in America.

This is a full-circle moment for me. In 1984, who would have thought, sitting there as a rookie cop, that I would one day go from being a worker in the mailroom to being a police officer, a captain, and now to be the mayor of the City of New York. That is what's waiting for you. Serve us well, serve your city well, and serve yourselves well. Thank you, and God bless you.

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