NYPD's First Deputy Commissioner is Guyanese American Tania Kinsella

Tania Kinsella is the New York Police Department's (NYPD) first deputy commissioner and the first woman of color to serve in the role. As First Deputy Commissioner, Kinsella is second in command in the largest police department in the U.S. and in the world — making her historic appointment a significant accomplishment.

Kinsella was appointed by New York City mayor Eric Adams in 2023, who said during her swearing in ceremony, “her appointment truly personifies the American Dream.” She is the youngest daughter of Caribbean immigrants, a Guyanese mother and Jamaican father. Adams continued, “In her 20 years with the NYPD, First Deputy Commissioner Kinsella has devoted herself to bringing the police and the community together, building bonds, and making our city a better, safer, and stronger place to live.”

Prior to her appointment, Kinsella rose through the ranks serving several precincts across New York City, as Captain, Commanding Officer, Deputy Inspector, and Inspector. She become the commanding officer of the 120th precinct in her home borough of Staten Island, New York and, in 2022, was appointed Executive Officer at the Office of the Chief of Patrol and there she was later promoted to Deputy Chief.

Mayor Adams also said of Kinsella, "Why is her appointment so significant? [...] The NYPD has a great crime-fighting profile, but it has an image problem. When you look at the department you don't see youthfulness, you don't see diversity at the top. You don't see the richness....people should see the possibilities."

Through her public service, Kinsella, a mother of two, is imagining new possibilities for Guyanese diasporans, women, and people of color everywhere!