Beginning January 2026, Wade Hardy became the Public Safety Commissioner for the City of White Plains, which leads the overall operations of the City Police, Fire, EMS, and 911 services.
Previously, Wade Hardy was the Deputy Chief Criminal Investigator for the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. In addition to being part of the office’s command staff and overseeing investigative squads, Commissioner Hardy works to improve relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve throughout Westchester County.
With 39 years of experience in law enforcement and corporate security leadership and management, one of his primary responsibilities was to enhance relationships between law enforcement and all communities.
A former police lieutenant with the White Plains Police Department, Commissioner Hardy passionately built bridges between the police department and the communities it served while leading the Community Services Division. He advanced initiatives to improve conditions in public housing, foster better relationships with at-risk youth, and regularly met with neighborhood associations, community organizations, local clergy, and the White Plains Central Business District. He also spearheaded initiatives to combat regional retail crime.
As a detective sergeant, he led the Narcotics Unit, Anti-Crime Unit and oversaw various investigations in the Detective Bureau. He was also a leader on the Special Response Team. One of his highlights was uncovering evidence that led to the location and apprehension of a man hiding in an apartment in White Plains who was wanted for the murder of a Norfolk, Virginia, Police Officer.
Before becoming a supervisor, Commissioner Hardy served as a detective for 10 years, focusing on narcotics and general criminal activity within the city. Additionally, he spent three years working on federal cases with the Drug Enforcement Administration. There, he and his team were honored with an international award for their part in one of the largest drug and money seizures by a DEA task force group in the country at the time.
Following his career with the White Plains Police, he served as a department manager in Corporate Security at Con Edison for 12 years. His primary responsibilities were overseeing security investigations, protection of company personnel and physical assets, private guard contracts, and security compliance throughout New York City and Westchester County. He also launched training programs to help ensure the safety of the 19,000 Con Edison employees in the workplace and in their personal lives. While there, he served as the Chairman for the American Gas Association Physical Security Subcommittee and was an active member of Edison Electric Institute, where utility security professionals from across North America collaborated to share ideas on best practices and technologies available to protect the grid.
Commissioner Hardy is a board member of the Friends of White Plains Youth Bureau, a member of Grandpas United, National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and the first vice president of the Westchester Rockland Guardians’ Association. Commissioner Hardy is also a member of the Westchester County Chiefs of Police Association, IACP, New York State Chiefs of Police, Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), FBI National Academy Associates, and the American Society for Evidence-Based Policing.
During his time as a citizen in the private sector, Commissioner Hardy served on the White Plains Police Reform Committee and consulted on several other police reform committees in surrounding areas. After the murder of George Floyd and with social unrest spreading across the country, Commissioner Hardy and the Westchester Rockland Guardians Association hosted a rally in White Plains entitled Law Enforcement on the Right Side of Justice. This rally provided a platform for law enforcement leaders, community activists, clergy, political figures, and students to discuss how, in Westchester, we are all on the right side of justice. Recognizing the impact of social unrest on law enforcement members, Commissioner Hardy initiated what he called “courageous conversations.” These conversations allowed members of law enforcement to share with their peers in a safe space how recent events affect them.
Commissioner Hardy is married with three children and one grandaughter. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, mentoring youth and law enforcement officers of various ranks, and inspiring our youth. He coached a solid White Plains Little League softball team to 3 consecutive district championships and still maintains close relationships with the families of the many youths he coached.
Commissioner Hardy graduated from Woodlands High School, holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Manhattan University, a master’s in public administration from the University of New Haven, and a Criminal Justice graduate certificate from the University of Virginia. He is also a graduate of the 288th session of the FBI National Academy, where he took on an additional role as an International Partnership Program Coordinator. In that role, he was responsible for assuring the 25 law enforcement leaders from around the globe had an enriching and memorable FBINA experience.
Commissioner Hardy considers himself a purpose-driven, transformational, servant leader. He believes in leading with compassion, integrity, and empathy, by encouraging growth and accountability. In the debated words of Warrior vs Guardian in law enforcement, Commissioner Hardy believes that public servants should carry with them the Guardian Mindset and the Warrior Skillset.
