The head of the NYPD announced his resignation Thursday amid an ongoing federal investigation, paving the way for Mayor Eric Adams to appoint his third police commissioner in less than three years.
Adams was quick to name an interim replacement: Tom Donlon.
"Tom joins a team at 1 Police Plaza that is relentlessly dedicated to public safety and protecting New Yorkers. That is why New York is the safest big city in the world and why it will continue to be," Adams said of the Bronx native.
So who is the interim police commissioner?
Getting to know Tom Donlon
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The CEO and co-founder of Global Security Resolutions, Donlon has extensive law enforcement experience at the local state federal and international levels, which is partly why Adams said he fit the bill. He is considered an expert in crisis and risk management, investigations, special events and other programs, according to his bio.
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A veteran counter-terrorism professional, Donlon retired from the FBI as the agency's chief of the National Threat Center’s Section. In that role, he was responsible for a multi-agency Global Threat Watch, the FBI’s Terrorism Watch List and developed and implemented “Guardian”, the FBI’s first centralized Terrorism Threat Database. Guardian is still used by countless domestic and international law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Previously, Donlon served as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s New York Counter-terrorism Division; Coordinating Supervisory Special Agent and a Supervisor in the FBI’s New York City Office managing Foreign Counter Intelligence, Domestic and International Counter-terrorism investigations.
As a special agent, Donlon was assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in the FBI’s NYC office, where he collaborated on the 1993 World Trade Center bombing investigation. He has worked on notable terror cases overseas in addition to his domestic efforts during his FBI career. Those cases include Manila Air, the 1998 East Africa and U.S. Embassy bombings, the USS Cole bombing, 9/11 as well as other counter-terrorism Investigations.
Donlon also served as New York’s Director of Office of Homeland Security, having been confirmed by members of the New York State Senate and Assembly for the cabinet-level position. He was responsible for directing and coordinating a comprehensive state-wide counter-terrorism strategy for the prevention, preparedness and response to terrorism or related matters, ensuring the security and safety of New York state residents. He was also New York State’s primary contact with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. One of his many responsibilities included reviewing and authorizing requests from New York counties and cities for distribution of federal counter-terrorism grant funding.
Prior to starting Global Security Resolutions, Tomlon was security director for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) (formerly Westfield Corporation) at the World Trade Center (WTC) and as the Eastern Regional Director of Security for Westfield Corporation. He was also global security director at two major financial firms.
Donlon received his Bachelor of Arts from Iona College.
