It Was Always All About the People

For nearly half a century, David Chong served the people in New York and he did it with true grace. His NYPD job offer initially came to him in 1979 but he deferred it so he can finish his final semester at John Jay College. David's career in law enforcement began the next year at the very young age of 21 as a detective in the New York Police Department (NYPD) under Mayor Ed Koch, covering the crime, drug, and gang-ridden neighborhoods in New York City's Chinatown section during the early 1980s. Mr. Chong, being of Asian descent, went undercover to investigate these dangerous gangs and bring these gang leaders to justice, a major success with taking down the Chinese American street gang known as the Flying Dragons. These achievements in Chinatown were noticed by many top brass in the NYPD and that was the seed that planted his incredible career in law enforcement.

"Infiltrating those streets during those years was scary as a young officer, especially during that period," said Chong. "But I knew it needed to be done. The department came up with a plan, and I was proud to execute it."

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He spent an amazing 23 proud years wearing the NYPD badge, rising through the ranks and serving as a Lieutenant in the Organized Crime Investigations Division. This is where David was during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, sadly and heroically, spent time at Ground Zero during those days, immediately following the collapse of the Towers, helping rescue the few survivors in the thick of the chaos and devastation. Twice, he later developed 9/11-related cancer as a result of his service and is a survivor today.

"At first, they (the doctors) gave me a year to live," said Chong. "Pancreatic stage 4 cancer and I'm still here many years later. I have my good days and not-so-good days, but they considered me a miracle person because I had it twice," he said proudly.

Following the September 11th attacks, Mr. Chong became New York City's Commander of Counter-Terrorism Intelligence and spent the next 22 years serving New York City.

After retiring from the NYPD, Mr. Chong continued his commitment to public safety as Public Safety Commissioner in White Plains, NY, beginning in 2002, later, moved on to Mount Vernon to take the Police Commissioner position there for three-and-a-half years. David retired early in February of 2006 to pursue his Ph.D. in academics and teach at the university level, only to return as Public Safety Commissioner for the city of White Plains in 2010 at the age of 53, where he wanted to serve under the new White Plains mayor at the time, Mayor Adam Bradley.

"Mr. Bradley and I were always on the same page where leadership is all about serving the people and that's what he was all about," said David.

In total, David Chong spent 16 years in White Plains, and it was there that he led the department through the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Sandy, and oversaw all-hazards planning for the city's Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services. Overseeing the overall operations of the largest department in White Plains with an annual budget of close to $80M, the city saw crime decrease steadily over his tenure, while response time was sharply reduced. Satisfaction from the community, businesses, civic organizations, and religious institutions with the White Plains Department of Public Safety was at an all-time high up until his 2026 retirement. Following Mayor Bradley's leadership, David also served under the widely popular Mayor Thomas Roache from 2011 to 2025 until his retirement this past January.

"I'm really proud of my tenure in White Plains, and truly loved serving the people there," said David. "The numbers speak for themselves, we've dropped crime basically every year, double digits, and this year, amazingly, triple digits. The Fire Department response time is about 2:30 minutes which is unheard of really, and I think the new administration is going to do very, very well with the department we've put together."

On his last day on the job, Chong worked the New Year's Eve celebration in White Plains, making sure everything went smoothly and it was a great "hand-off" to the incoming Public Safety Commissioner, Wade Hardy, appointed by Mayor Justin Brasch.

David Chong's retirement from law enforcement in January 2026 became news throughout Westchester County and he's not the kind to sit at home quietly. David has served as an adjunct professor at several colleges and universities, and he has helped place more than 40 Berkeley College students and graduates in law enforcement careers. In addition to his nearly 50 years in law enforcement, he says one of the proudest moments in his life was earlier this year when he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Berkeley College.

In April of this year, David, who is an Honorary Director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Westchester (NCADD), received the Savior of Lives Award, presented to him by NCADD Founder & Executive Director Joan Bonsignore at an event in Eastchester.

"Joan is so wonderful," said Chong. "We both go back a long way and we have an amazing friendship. What she does for people with many types of addiction is amazing and as a longtime figure in law enforcement, that is something to be commended in many ways."

Mr. Chong has received more than 125 medals and honors from the New York Police Department alone, including the prestigious Combat Cross, two separate Medals of Valor and is a member of the NYPD’s Honor Legion. David was honored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which presented him with their 2007 “Excellence in Leadership” Award. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Business Marketing and Finance from Queensborough Community College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College, and a Masters of Public Administration from Marist College.

"The reason why I loved being in law enforcement for so many years is that I love serving the people, and that's the bottom line," said David. "For those whom I am proud and forever grateful to have served with, those who serve us are the greatest people and our heroes. The proudest achievement, I feel, has been the growth of the departments I served and the people I have met along the way. These folks show up, they put on their uniform, and they're out there going to places where other people wouldn't go. That's the greatest part of public safety, these are all special people, and protecting our citizens is the greatest victory.”