Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (ret.)
Rodney K. Harrison is a police officer and administrator who recently served as the Police Commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department. He previously served in the New York City Police Department where he achieved the highest uniform rank, Chief of department.
Harrison began his career with the NYPD as a cadet in 1991. He became a Police Officer on June 30, 1992. Harrison was assigned as an undercover in the Narcotics Division, and in 1995 he was promoted to detective.
Harrison was named the Commanding Officer of the 28th and 32nd Precincts in Harlem. In 2014 he was selected by then Commissioner Bratton to be second-in-command in Staten Island following the killing of Eric Garner by police. Harrison was promoted to Chief of Patrol where he oversaw the implementation of the Neighborhood Policing Program.
In December 2019, Harrison was named the first black Chief of Detectives in the NYPD’S 175-year history.
In 2021, Harrison was promoted to Chief of department, the highest-ranking uniform member of the department. Harrison announced his retirement from the NYPD in November 2021.
On December 21, 2021, it was announced that Harrison was nominated to be the Police Commissioner of Suffolk County. He was unanimously approved by the Suffolk County Legislature. Harrison became the first black Police Commissioner in the Department’s history.
