NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Cancels NYPD Staffing Increase

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the planned hiring of 580 additional NYPD officers and the associated $70 million budget allocation will not proceed. He said discussions with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch allowed the city to keep the force at its authorized 35,000 officers while still meeting crime‑fighting needs.

The reversal came after intense pressure from more than 70 police‑reform groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America and local community organizations, which sent a letter invoking the mayor’s campaign promise to keep the police headcount flat. Council President Julie Menin and some council members had supported the increase, citing rising crime rates.

In the final budget signed on June 30, the city maintained existing staffing levels and redirected resources toward community‑safety initiatives, housing, mental‑health care, and economic stability, fulfilling the demands of the mayor’s socialist allies.