Westchester County District Attorney’s Office Chief of the Investigations Division John O’Rourke Named Deputy Commissioner
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins announced two senior leadership appointments to the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, including a historic first for the agency.
Public Safety Commissioner Terrance Raynor has named Nilda Hofmann as First Deputy Commissioner and John O’Rourke as Deputy Commissioner. According to the County, Hofmann becomes the first Hispanic and first woman to serve in a leadership position within the Department of Public Safety.
“Public safety is one of the most fundamental responsibilities we have in County government,” CE Jenkins said, praising both appointees for their experience in law enforcement, investigations and community engagement.
Hofmann brings 30 years of experience with the New York City Police Department, where she rose from police officer to bureau chief. Her senior positions included Chief of Community Affairs and Chief of Transportation, as well as commanding officer of the 25th and 52nd Precincts.
As Chief of Community Affairs, Hofmann supervised approximately 5,600 employees across the School Safety, Crime Prevention, Youth Strategies and Community Outreach divisions. She later oversaw more than 4,000 uniformed and civilian personnel as Chief of Transportation.
Her background also includes work in the Hudson Valley at Dutchess Community College and in a hospital setting, giving her experience with public safety issues in academic and healthcare environments.
“I am honored to join the Westchester County Department of Public Safety,” Hofmann said. “I look forward to working with the Department’s dedicated men and women, County leadership, and our community partners to build on the Department’s outstanding work and continue serving Westchester County residents.”
O’Rourke Named Deputy Commissioner
O’Rourke joins the Department from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, where he has served as Chief of the Investigations Division.
In that position, he has supervised investigations involving hate crimes, public integrity, major economic crimes, cybercrime, gang violence and homicides.
O’Rourke has spent more than two decades with the Westchester DA’s Office, holding several senior roles, including Bureau Chief of Gangs, Firearms and Narcotics, Bureau Chief of the Major Case Bureau and Deputy Chief of the Homicide Bureau.
Since 2015, he has also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, working with federal prosecutors and the FBI on gang and gang-violence cases.
Before joining the Westchester DA’s Office in 2002, O’Rourke worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, where he prosecuted homicides and violent felonies.
Raynor said the appointments bring “tremendous experience” to the Department’s leadership team.
The Westchester County Department of Public Safety serves as the County’s primary law enforcement agency and also provides specialized services to local police departments across Westchester. County materials describe the Department as providing services including emergency response, investigations, marine operations, specialized tactical units, and other countywide public safety functions. Westchester County Government
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