Nilda Hofmann, a 30-year NYPD veteran, will serve as First Deputy Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety. She is the first Hispanic person and the first woman to hold a leadership role in the department.

County Executive Ken Jenkins announced the appointment on Wednesday, Sept. 30, alongside a second hire: John O'Rourke as Deputy Commissioner. Public Safety Commissioner Terrance Raynor made both selections. The department, headquartered in Hawthorne, provides law enforcement and specialized services to local police departments across the county, including those in Bronxville, Scarsdale and Eastchester.

"Their experience, judgment and commitment to public service will be tremendous assets to Westchester County," Jenkins said in a statement.

Hofmann rose from patrol officer to Bureau Chief during her three decades with the NYPD. She commanded the 25th and 52nd Precincts and held two citywide leadership posts. As Chief of Community Affairs, she supervised about 5,600 employees across the School Safety, Crime Prevention, Youth Strategies and Community Outreach divisions. As Chief of Transportation, she oversaw more than 4,000 uniformed and civilian personnel responsible for traffic safety enforcement across New York City.

After leaving the NYPD, Hofmann worked in the Hudson Valley, including at Dutchess Community College and in a hospital setting, according to Yonkers Times.

O'Rourke comes from the Westchester County District Attorney's Office, where he has spent more than two decades. He most recently served as Chief of the Investigations Division, supervising cases involving hate crimes, public integrity, major economic crimes and gang-related violence. Since 2015, he has also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, working with the FBI on gang cases.

Before joining the Westchester County DA's Office in 2002, O'Rourke prosecuted homicides and violent felonies as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan.

The hires follow months of pressure. The Westchester County Police Benevolent Association raised concerns in July about prolonged vacancies in supervisory positions. PBA President Wilberto Saez said at the time that no department should have to protect a growing county with fewer experienced leaders, as reported by News 12 Westchester. The county said then that it was moving forward with filling the Deputy Commissioner position.

Neither the county press release nor public records specify a start date for Hofmann or O'Rourke. Residents can reach the department at 914-864-7700.