On February 28th, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) held a promotion ceremony at the police academy in Queens. Sylvester Ge, the Deputy Chief of the NYPD Traffic Bureau and a Chinese-American officer, was promoted to Deputy Chief, becoming the highest-ranking active Chinese-American officer. Additionally, Kevin Chan, another Chinese-American officer, was promoted to Inspector.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch presented certificates and badges to the promoted officers. She expressed pride in their work, noting that their promotions were the result of long hours of hard work, difficult decisions, and the sacrifices made by their families. She emphasized the importance of teamwork, accountability, and unwavering commitment to public safety for the success of the NYPD.
Sylvester Ge, who rose from Inspector to Deputy Chief, following in the footsteps of retired Deputy Chief Ming-Hang Ng, the highest-ranking Chinese officer retired last December, expressed his gratitude for the support of his superiors, colleagues, and subordinates. Ge immigrated from Shanghai to New York with his family at the age of 14 and grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He explained that his name “Yuyan” was given by his uncle and means “learned and elegant,” symbolizing the expectations his elders had for him.
Ge joined the NYPD in 1996, and next year marks his 30th year in the force. Starting as a patrol officer in the LaGuardia Houses and Vladeck Houses in the Lower East Side, he steadily rose through the ranks, serving in various divisions such as the 6th Precinct, the 114th Precinct, NYPD Housing Bureau, Internal Affairs Bureau, Deputy Commissioner for Public Information’s office, Highway Patrol, North Queens Precinct, and now the Traffic Bureau. As Deputy Chief, his responsibilities include overseeing the efficient daily operations of the Traffic Bureau, supervising the “Vision Zero” and traffic safety initiatives.
Ge encouraged aspiring Chinese-American officers to excel in their roles, take civil service exams to advance to higher ranks such as Officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain, which are achieved through exams. For roles like Deputy Inspector and Inspector, promotion is based on merit and appointment – he believes that outstanding work will always be recognized and rewarded, hoping to see more Chinese officers ascend to higher positions in the future.
Kevin Chan, the other promoted Chinese-American officer, was promoted to Inspector and currently serves as Deputy Commanding Officer of the Southern Patrol Bureau in Queens. Born in New York in 1980 to parents from Taishan, Guangdong, he joined the NYPD in 2005 and previously served as Commanding Officer of the 107th Precinct and Executive Officer of the 105th and 107th Precincts. Chan graduated from Stevenson High School and Binghamton University with a degree in Computer Engineering.
He emphasized the importance of safety for new officers and highlighted the need for diversity in the NYPD, advocating for the recruitment of officers from different ethnic backgrounds. He mentioned that starting salaries for new officers range from $40,000 to $50,000, but can exceed $100,000 after six years, indicating that the compensation package is competitive.
Family and friends of the two officers, as well as the first Asian-American Deputy Chief of the NYPD, Mo Hu, attended the promotion ceremony to congratulate the officers on their achievements.