Tatum Fox named Nassau PD’s 1st woman assistant commissioner

Tatum Fox, the Nassau County Police Department’s top lawyer, has been promoted to assistant commissioner overseeing legal affairs, including police training and contract compliance, the department said Monday.

Fox, who receives a 29 percent salary increase — from $116,000 to $150,000 — with her new title of assistant commissioner of legal affairs and compliance, will continue to serve as legal counsel to the commissioner, department officials said.

In an interview Monday, Fox, 40, said she is “extremely honored” to receive the promotion and sees her chief responsibilities as “ensuring compliance, ensuring that our training is appropriate, that our policies and procedures evolve with the times as well and meet legal standards.”

Fox, who began working in the police department’s Legal Bureau a decade ago, said she couldn’t think of any policies or procedures the department should change.

“I think everything’s a work in progress,” Fox said. “Something specific, no, I think we’re tackling all the major issues already. I’m just going to be more involved in them.”

Fox is one of three assistant commissioners — the highest position for a civilian in the police department. She is the first woman to be named an assistant commissioner, department officials said.

Acting Commissioner Thomas Krumpter said it makes sense to promote a lawyer such as Fox to the commissioner level to oversee legal issues at a time when law enforcement agencies are more scrutinized than ever before. He said Fox’s legal expertise and “extensive” litigation experience make her a “resource in a very complex environment.”

“Tatum Fox is a trailblazer,” Krumpter said. “We have a lot of great women. . . . It just goes to show you that we are blind to sex and to race. We are gonna pick the best people for the jobs in this police department.”

“I’m proud to join Commissioner Krumpter in promoting Tatum Fox to serve as Nassau’s first female Assistant Commissioner,” County Executive Edward Mangano said in a prepared statement.

Of Fox’s considerable pay increase, Krumpter said: “The bump comes with the title. That’s the pay that the assistant commissioner comes with.”

Brian Hoesl, president of the department’s Superior Officers Association, which represents officers in the rank of sergeant and above, called Fox a “very competent woman” and said he had no issues with the promotion “as long as she doesn’t perform any of my members’ functions. . . . I’ve been told she’s not going to fulfill any duties handled by my members.”

Krumpter said Fox has no direct line authority of police officers and the commanding officer of the Legal Bureau remains.

James Carver, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said: “I think she’s a bright individual who will serve the department well.”

Fox is a 1998 graduate of Hofstra University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in history, according to a copy of her resume. She graduated from St. John’s University School of Law in 2002.

She worked as a deputy county attorney for four years, before moving to the police department’s Legal Bureau in 2006.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.