NYPD-critical past comments of Mamdani's deemed inconsistent with his mayoral campaign following a recent mass shooting incident
In the aftermath of a recent mass shooting in New York City that claimed the life of one police officer, Didarul Islam, and three other New Yorkers, Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani has faced criticism over his past tweets bashing the NYPD. However, Mamdani has since moderated his positions, including his stance on the role of the police.
Mamdani, who has been vocal about police reform, initially called for "defunding the police" in 2020. But in the wake of the shooting, he has distanced himself from earlier social media posts and emphasized his support for the NYPD while advocating for reforms.
During a news conference held after returning from a multi-day trip to Uganda, Mamdani announced his plans to dismantle the NYPD's Strategic Response Group (SRG) and replace it with another group dedicated to responding to emergencies. He acknowledged that about 200 NYPD officers leave the department each month, partly due to forced overtime and increasing responsibilities like responding to mental health calls, which he believes require specialized professionals rather than police.
Mamdani publicly aligned himself with the NYPD and visited the family of a fallen officer, distancing himself from earlier social media posts calling for disbanding the SRG, the NYPD's special operations unit that responded to the mass shooting. Though he previously criticized the SRG, Mamdani now recognizes their role in responding to violent incidents and suggests the unit should focus on those activities instead of policing protests.
Mamdani's evolving position reflects an attempt to balance public safety concerns with police reform, addressing both the criticisms from former calls to "defund" and the demand for better accountability and cultural change within the NYPD. His campaign platform centers on public safety outcomes that include both effective policing and augmenting community-based crisis intervention resources.
Mamdani's opponents, including incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, and attorney Jim Walden, have seized upon his past tweets to paint him as complicit in violence against the police. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo has also used similar tactics to portray Mamdani as someone who will not keep New Yorkers safe as mayor. However, Mamdani has maintained that he no longer supports the defund movement and aims to empower officers to focus on serious crime while creating a Department of Community Safety to handle mental health and crisis responses separately from police duties.
Shamsul Haque, the founder of the Bangladeshi American Police Association, was present at Mamdani's event to commemorate Didarul Islam, who was a Bangladeshi officer killed in the mass shooting. Aland Etienne, one of the victims from the mass shooting, was also present at Mamdani's event, which was hosted by 32BJ SEIU, a union that has endorsed Mamdani.
As the general election approaches, Mamdani will face off against his opponents in a bid to become the next mayor of New York City. The funeral for Didarul Islam will take place on Thursday.
[1] New York Post [2] The City [3] Gothamist [4] Politico
- The political landscape of war-and-conflicts in New York City has been significantly influenced by the evolving stance of Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani on policy-and-legislation regarding the NYPD, following his past criticisms and recent support of the department.
- Along with general-news updates, crime-and-justice reports in various news outlets like The New York Post, The City, Gothamist, and Politico have been focusing on Mamdani's controversial past tweets, his efforts to reform the NYPD, and the reactions from his opponents as they prepare for the upcoming election.
