Mamdani retreats from NYPD staffing increase after DSA pushback

New York City’s latest budget will not move forward with a previously discussed authorization to expand the NYPD’s headcount, according to reports.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has described himself as a democratic socialist, addressed the decision at a Tuesday press conference, saying he had been working with city agency leaders to identify potential savings. “So, I’ve been talking to all agency heads about ways to find savings, and Commissioner Tisch and I were able to identify ways to keep the NYPD headcount at the originally authorized 35,000 while also meeting all of our crime-fighting needs and implementing the new programs that were announced earlier this year,” Mamdani said.

News Agency contacted the mayor’s office on Wednesday for comment.

In a statement provided to News Agency on Wednesday, the NYPD said the city’s fiscal pressures are well understood and that the mayor has asked every agency to look for efficiencies. “It is no secret that the city is facing serious financial challenges, and the mayor has asked every agency head to find efficiencies. Commissioner Tisch has led three city agencies over the course of her career, and few public servants have a stronger record of finding efficiencies, modernizing operations, and delivering results for New Yorkers even under the most difficult budget conditions. For now, the department is able to police effectively with the budgeted headcount we have, driving crime down month after month. That headcount and our hiring plan gives us the flexibility we need to maintain that balance over the next fiscal year,” the department said.

The decision follows public pressure from the New York City Democratic Socialists of America, which had criticized the possibility of adding to the department’s authorized staffing level earlier this month.

In a statement posted to the left-wing group’s X account and apparently joined by several other organizations, the coalition said, “We are calling on Mayor Mamdani to reverse this proposed expansion of the NYPD and invest the money in community safety programs instead.”

The NYC-DSA reposted City Council member Tiffany Cabán’s statement hailing the news about the budget on Tuesday.

“I am proud too have worked closely with the Mayor and public safety advocates to ensure there was no increase to the NYPD’s headcount in this budget,” Cabán said. “Every dollar we spend on policing and incarceration means money we can’t spend on housing, mental health care, substance use treatment, and economic stability: the proven policies that actually keep our communities healthy and safe.”

“This budget is an important check on the failed policy of broken windows policing and will allow us to build a public safety infrastructure rooted in care, not punishment and incarceration. And we will keep building on it,” she added.