Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic nominee with socialist leanings, outlined his vision for reforming the NYPD’s response system during the debate hosted by Spectrum News New York 1. He emphasized the importance of trusting dispatchers to evaluate the nature of emergency calls, citing evidence that similar strategies have been effective in other parts of the United States.

However, not everyone was convinced by Mamdani’s proposal. Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and now a criminal justice professor at Penn State Lehigh Valley, expressed strong reservations. “That’s probably the worst idea I’ve heard in a long time,” Giacalone remarked. He questioned the practicality of the plan, highlighting the potential consequences if a dispatcher makes an incorrect judgment. “My question is, what happens when the dispatcher is wrong and someone dies? Is it an oops? The liability the city would be taking on with this idea will be off the charts,” he warned.

Mamdani, who also serves as a state representative, addressed his supporters on election night at The Greats of Craft LIC in Long Island City, Queens. His remarks during the debate reflect his broader campaign focus on reimagining public safety and police interactions in New York City.

“I don’t have a clue what he’s talking about and neither does he,” he added. “My question is, what happens when the dispatcher is wrong and someone dies? Is it an oops? The liability the city would be taking on with this idea will be off the charts.”

New York mayoral candidate, state Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY), speaks to supporters during an election night gathering at The Greats of Craft LIC on June 24, 2025, in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Mamdani has supported replacing police officers with social workers and “transit ambassadors” on certain 911 calls.

If it’s been done elsewhere, Giacalone questioned where that was, what happened and how that city’s population stacked up against the Big Apple’s.

“This is NYC, not Sheboygan,” he said.

Sheboygan is a Wisconsin city on Lake Michigan with about 50,000 residents. New York has more than 8 million.

Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani (R), Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa (L) and Independent candidate and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo participate in the second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, New York, on Oct. 22, 2025. (Hiroko MASUIKE / POOL / AFP)

Mamdani’s campaign did not immediately respond to emailed questions about the proposal.

“Zohran Mamdani’s plan to shift the responsibility of determining—over the phone—whether or not a law enforcement response is needed for a 911 call involving an emotionally disturbed person is reckless and dangerous,” said retired NYPD lieutenant and “Finest Unfiltered” podcast host John Macari. “This proposal will not save lives or reduce the workload of law enforcement; it will make their jobs harder and endanger civilians, dispatchers and first responders alike.”

He said anyone who has experience responding to calls involving emotionally disturbed people knows they are both “unpredictable and volatile.”

“I’ve personally responded to hundreds of them during my career, and I can tell you firsthand, no one can safely assess the threat level of an emotionally disturbed individual over the phone,” he told Fox News Digital. 

A police officer’s NYPD shoulder patch. (Susan Watts/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

He said under the stress of making the wrong decision, dispatchers could likely err on the side of caution and send police anyway. 

“Mamdani’s idea isn’t a plan, it’s a talking point,” he said. “It appears to have been drafted without any consultation with dispatchers, first responders or the families of those struggling with mental illness. If implemented, it will cost lives and further strain a system already stretched to its limits.”

Macari, who supports Republican Curtis Sliwa in the race, added that he believes Mamdani’s primary win over Andrew Cuomo was the result of voters rejecting the former governor, not widespread support for his agenda.

Mamdani, who this year has insisted he would not defund the NYPD if elected mayor, has previously called for doing so and tearing the department down.

“Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence,” he wrote on X in December 2020, complaining about NYPD overtime and calling the department “wicked & corrupt.”

Before that, he claimed the department “is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety.” Separately, he has called for taking money from the NYPD budget and spending it on homeless services.

“Together, we can tax the rich, heal the sick, house the poor, defund the police & build a socialist New York,” he wrote.

Giacalone said that while Mamdani’s rhetoric may have changed, he still views him as a “defund the police” candidate.

“Like the saying goes, when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time,” he said. “He is a defund the police, abolish the police candidate. Plain and simple. Once again, the people voting for a candidate like this don’t live in the crime areas where things will turn worse.”