Lieutenant Michael Tomao was sworn into the New York City Police Department in January of 2006. He began his career in the 44th Precinct. As a Police Officer, Tomao also served in the 49th Precinct, and was assigned to the precinct Anti-Crime Team and the Precinct Detective Squad. In 2012, Tomao was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, and was assigned to the 40th Precinct. While there, he served as the precinct's Anti-Crime Team Supervisor. In 2014, Tomao would go on to serve in the 45th & 43rd Precinct Detective Squads, respectively. In 2018, Tomao was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and was assigned to the 47th Precinct. Shortly after, Tomao was transferred to the 44th Precinct Detective Squad, and was designated the Squad Commander. In 2020, Tomao was transferred to the Detective Bureau Special Investigations Division, and was designated as the Commanding Officer of the Hostage Negotiation Team. He is the 9th Commanding Officer in the history of the team. In 2025, Tomao was promoted to Lieutenant Commander Detective Squad. He commands a team that responded to nearly 700 requests for service in 2024. During his tenure as Commanding Officer, Tomao has recruited and trained over 160 new negotiators.