PERSON: Tarik Sheppard

Deputy Commissioner of Public Information

A 19-year veteran of the NYPD, Deputy Commissioner Sheppard brings a wealth of enforcement, investigative, and strategic management experience to this dynamic role. Deputy Commissioner Sheppard has served in a number of key assignments over the course of his career, most recently as Commanding Officer of the 28 Precinct in Harlem – where his performance was recognized with a promotion to the rank of Deputy Inspector. Prior to that assignment, Sheppard managed a specialized team in the Police Commissioner’s Office responsible for liaising with diverse communities across the five boroughs. He has also held a number of advisory roles with high-level departmental executives, including the Chief of Department.

Deputy Commissioner Sheppard began his NYPD career as a patrol officer in 2004, in the 47 Precinct, covering the Wakefield section of The Bronx. His rise through the ranks began with a promotion to Sergeant in 2010, followed by Lieutenant in 2015, Captain in 2020, and most recently Deputy Inspector in 2023. Commissioner Sheppard spent several years as a special projects manager in the Office of Public Information, cultivating a wide array of professional relationships with members of the press. He played a key role in DCPI’s response to several high-profile emergencies in this capacity, including: the Westside Highway U-Haul terrorist attack, the failed Port Authority pipe bomb terrorist attack, and the IED-by-mail episode which involved pipe bombs being mailed to multiple locations around the nation, including New York City. Commissioner Sheppard has also helped to manage the department’s responses to officer-involved shooting incidents, including the most tragic cases in which an officer’s life was lost.

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