Amidst the political shake-up in New York City, a wave of resignations swept through the police force as nearly 250 officers chose to leave their positions ahead of Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral win. Despite Mamdani’s efforts to temper his previous anti-police stance, the departures continued.
At just 34 years old, Mamdani made history as New York City’s youngest mayor. His campaign, which focused on tackling issues of affordability, resonated with younger voters, largely due to strategic social media engagement that brought them to the polls.
Official data from the Police Pension Fund revealed a 35 percent increase in resignations in October, totaling 245 officers, compared to 181 during the same month the previous year.
In light of these challenges, the NYPD remains committed to bolstering its ranks. A spokesperson told the Daily Mail, “We are laser-focused on enhancing our recruitment efforts and attracting the next generation of officers. The momentum is shifting, and we continue to strive for the highest caliber of candidates to safeguard the city.”
Encouragingly, the department welcomed 1,093 new officers last month, marking the largest Police Academy class since January 2016. This influx is part of a broader recruitment drive, which has seen 2,911 new recruits join the force this year alone. The NYPD is on pace for a record-breaking year in hiring, with nearly 10,000 officers added over the last four years.
So far this year, the NYPD has hired 2,911 recruits and is on track for the largest annual hiring in its history, with nearly 10,000 new officers added over the past four years.
Despite Mamdani’s recent efforts to soften his stance on policing, including an apology for past remarks calling the NYPD ‘racist and anti-queer,’ police unions said morale within the department has dropped sharply.
Officers are reportedly concerned about the mayor-elect’s proposed reforms and past rhetoric.
Zohran Mamdani was in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday. He is known for his anti-police rhetoric that he has attempted to dial back in recent months
Throughout his campaign, Mamdani rejected claims that he was anti-police and emphasized that he had no plans to defund the NYPD
‘Morale is down because everyone is concerned about the policies Mamdani wants to put in place,’ Scott Munro, president of the Detectives Endowment Association, told the NY Post.
‘You have a person who is supposed to be running New York City that does not believe in law enforcement.’
The Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which is preparing to negotiate a new contract with Mamdani, warned that the trend could worsen.
‘Every single month, we’re losing enough cops to staff an entire precinct,’ PBA President Patrick Hendry told the New York Times. He cited unsustainable workloads, an expired contract, and a lack of support as key factors driving officers away.
A union source told the NY Post that Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s future with the department could have ripple effects on morale and retention.
‘If she leaves it may result in an uptick,’ the source said. ‘If she stays, maybe not.’
Despite the spike in resignations, new hires have helped the NYPD maintain its overall staffing levels.
The department currently has a uniformed headcount of 33,745, slightly down from 33,812 in 2024. The NYPD’s peak staffing was 40,285 in 2000, according to the Independent Budget Office.
A union source has said that Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s future with the department could affect officer retention
Mamdani greets people while attending the SOMOS Puerto Rico conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Saturday
Among the most notable recent departures is Deputy Chief John D’Adamo, head of the Strategic Response Group, a unit tasked with policing protests.
Mamdani has previously criticized the group and suggested it could be disbanded.
D’Adamo resigned the day after Mamdani’s election, though a friend said his decision was unrelated to the political shift and that he was simply ready to retire.
Mamdani’s past social media posts from 2020 show him repeatedly advocating to defund the police during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests.
He referred to the NYPD as a ‘rogue agency’ and a ‘major threat to public safety,’ and posted that ‘nature was healing’ after hearing an officer cried over Joe Biden’s election win.
During the campaign, Mamdani denied being anti-police and stated he would not defund the NYPD.
He expressed interest in retaining Commissioner Sewell and said he would invest in social and mental health services to support public safety.
He also proposed transferring final disciplinary authority from the police commissioner to the Civilian Complaint Review Board, a move that has sparked further debate.
