Benjamin B. Tucker
Benjamin B. Tucker began his career with the New York City Police Department in 1969 as a Police Trainee. As one of a select group of trainees he received specialized training from medical and substance abuse experts to participate in the first NYPD sponsored school-based drug prevention education program. Tucker became a Police Officer in 1972 and was promoted to Sergeant in 1987. During his 22 years with the NYPD, Tucker performed a wide range of uniform and plain clothes assignments, as well as police academy instructor, legal advisor in the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters; and Assistant Director of the Civilian Complaint Review Board.
Tucker continued his public service as a senior executive under Mayor Edward I. Koch, serving as the Deputy Assistant Director for Law Enforcement Services in the Mayor’s Office of Operations, and First Deputy Commissioner and Executive Director of the Commission on Human Rights. Tucker also served as Chief of Operations in the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, and in the administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as Chief Executive for School Safety and Planning for the Department of Education.
In 1995, President William Jefferson Clinton appointed Tucker Deputy Director for Operations in the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at the United States Department of Justice. In 2009, Tucker was nominated by President Barack H. Obama, and confirmed by the United States Senate, as the Deputy Director for State, Local and Tribal Affairs within the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Prior to joining the Justice Department Tucker implemented and directed research demonstration projects at the Substance Abuse Strategy Initiative at New York University and the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. These projects were designed to evaluate the effectiveness of post incarceration services for formerly incarcerated substance abusers re-entering society and the provision of services for pre-adolescents at-risk of getting involved in drugs and crime.
His unique blend of law enforcement, criminal justice policy expertise and academic experience led to Tucker’s return to the NYPD as Deputy Commissioner of Training during Police Commissioner William J. Bratton’s reengineering of the Department in 2014. Proving to be a valued member of the executive staff, Tucker was sworn in as the 43rd First Deputy Commissioner and entrusted to direct several bureaus, including Personnel, Training, Criminal Justice, Risk Management, Department Advocate, Trials, and Labor Relations. After seven years as the second in command of the NYPD, Tucker retired December 31, 2021. On January 20, 2022, Tucker was appointed Trustee on the Northwell Health Board of Trustees, the largest Health Care system in New York State.
Tucker has a BS degree in Criminal Justice from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, a JD degree from the Fordham University School of Law. Tucker is also the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Pace University where he is a tenured professor.