New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing significant backlash after halting a plan initiated by his predecessor, Eric Adams, to add 5,000 officers to the New York Police Department. The decision comes as the NYPD struggles with a growing number of officers leaving the force, creating a complex challenge for the new administration.
While Adams characterized the hiring plan as essential for maintaining public safety, Mamdani is prioritizing alternative strategies to address the city’s safety concerns. Adams’ proposal aimed to increase the NYPD’s headcount to 40,000 uniformed officers – a level not seen since the Giuliani administration, which spanned from 1994 to 2001. The plan was intended to stabilize the force and reduce the reliance on costly overtime.
However, Mamdani has signaled a shift in focus, emphasizing the need to address the reasons officers are departing and exploring alternative methods for handling certain types of calls. Former Mayor Adams strongly condemned Mamdani’s decision, calling it “a serious mistake,” according to a statement released through spokesman Todd Shapiro. “Five thousand officers is not excess. It is necessary to stabilize the force, reduce crushing overtime and ensure the health, safety, and well-being of every New Yorker,” Shapiro stated.
The NYPD currently operates with just over 34,000 officers, approximately 1,000 fewer than the budgeted number. Patrick Hendry, President of the Police Benevolent Association, highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating, “My message is, right now, we need to keep our police officers in the department. We are losing 250 to 300 a month. That needs to change right away.”
Mamdani, in response to questions about attracting and retaining officers, has touted his campaign agenda of establishing a Department of Community Safety. This department would aim to relieve the NYPD’s workload by assigning civilians to respond to calls related to issues like homelessness and domestic violence. “I’ve said time and again that for too long the city has added additional responsibilities onto the NYPD,” Mamdani said. “We see at this point the NYPD responsible for responding to about 200,000 mental health calls a year.”
However, Hendry dismissed the Department of Community Safety as a viable solution. “It’s not going to change anything for the NYPD. We still have a huge workload. Here’s only 2% of our workload, mental health jobs. We need to keep police officers in this department,” he said.
The move to scrap the hiring plan comes as New York City faces a $5.4 billion budget gap. Mamdani has proposed filling this gap by increasing personal income taxes on New Yorkers earning over $1 million annually and increasing taxes on the most profitable corporations. Raising the property tax rate by about 9.5% is being considered as a “last resort,” should Albany fail to act on tax reform. The city will also need to withdraw $980 million from the “Rainy Day Fund” in Fiscal Year 2026 and $229 million from the Retiree Health Benefits Trust in Fiscal Year 2027 to balance its budget.
The decision to halt the expansion of the NYPD reflects a fundamental difference in approach to public safety between the two mayors, raising questions about the future of policing in New York City and the city’s ability to address both officer attrition and public safety concerns.
