Mamdani Backpedals on ‘Defund the Police’ Rhetoric

Zohran Mamdani, the Democrat nominee to be the next mayor of New York City is moderating his rhetoric on the police.

Mamdani, who once called for the New York Police Department to be defunded and dismantled, and referred to the NYPD as “wicked & corrupt” has taken a decidedly different tone in recent weeks. 

During a June 13 mayoral primary debate, Mamdani disavowed his former policy position.

“I will not defund the police. I will work with the police, because I believe the police have a critical role to play in creating public safety,” declared Mamdani, currently a New York state assemblyman.

“Sixty-five percent of crimes from the first quarter of this year are still not solved. We need to ensure that police can focus on those crimes, and [that] we have mental health professionals and social workers to address and tackle and resolve the mental health crisis and homelessness,” the self-proclaimed democratic socialist opined. 

Still, Mamdani’s overtures have not convinced some officers that he will sufficiently back the police. 

“I’ve had guys call me and say ‘If he wins, I’m quitting,’” a police source told The New York Post.

Scott Munro, president of the NYPD Detectives’ Endowment Association, expressed concern over Mamdani’s effect on police morale.

“If you put a guy like him in there, our people are going to get hurt, and nobody’s going to want the job. It’s going to put recruitment back five more steps,” Munro explained.

Mamdani has not backed down from his proposal for a new city government department to potentially take over some of the duties of the police. Mamdani’s so-called Department of Community Safety would deploy “dedicated outreach workers” to 100 subway stations across the city to “intervene in escalating situations” and “engage with New Yorkers experiencing homelessness and mental health crises.”

The Transit Bureau of the NYPD is currently in charge of policing subways that serve the approximately 5.6 million people who ride the subway each day. 

Last year, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the New York National Guard would also patrol the subways. 

Mamdani’s new government department would cost an additional $455 million. 

Mamdani also has been heavily criticized for his views on Israel. About a day after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas, Mamdani blamed Israeli government leaders for its “occupation” and called for “dismantling apartheid.” He declined to criticize Hamas in the statement.

If elected, Mamdani, 33, would be one of the youngest mayors in New York City history.

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