Mamdani’s Effect on the NYPD

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New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has promised to “defund the police”; recently, he has tried to suggest that he didn’t really mean that, but his late disclaimer has convinced no one, any more than his late attempts to present himself as a stout opponent of antisemitism have been believed. It is clear that he is no fan of the police, seeing them as part of a white power structure that oppresses “black and brown” people. He is apparently unaware that it is “black and brown” people who are those most likely to be victimized by criminals. Because of the threat of Mamdani winning, police in New York are retiring before he has a chance to take office, when he might then create an atmosphere more hostile to the police, reflecting his own views. And he could impose a new way to calculate retirement pay less favorable than what the NYPD officers have today.

More on the worry over Mamdani’s hostility to the police can be found here: “NYC cops would flee the job in historic numbers if Zohran Mamdani wins, union leaders predict,” by Tina Moore, New York Post, July 5, 2025:

Police officers are retiring in historic numbers — and the exodus will only accelerate if anti-cop Democratic Mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is elected, union officials warned this week.

As of Monday, 1,555 NYPD officers put in their papers — 48% more than the 1,049 who retired last year, and 65% more than a decade ago, when just 941 turned in their shields, according to NYPD data provided to The Post by the Police Benevolent Association.

Union leaders weren’t aware of any time in history that retirements for the first six months of year were as high, and worry about the disastrous affect the lefty Mamdani could have on NYPD recruitment and retention.

“We can’t afford to have a mayor who ignores the problem or tries to take us backward,” said PBA President Patrick Hendry. “We need a mayor who will speak up for police officers, and treat us and pay us like the professionals we are.”

The PBA hasn’t endorsed a mayoral candidate in this year’s race….

“The Democratic candidate who won is very anti-cop,” said the officer, who has more than 20 years on the job. “He has an extremist attitude and it’s going to scare other cops and they will go out the door.”

The cop has been particularly incensed over “blanket statements” Mandami has made about cops, including advocating for defunding the NYPD, a stance he later reversed during a debate in June.

Mandami has labeled the NYPD “wicked and corrupt” on X, and called for the department to be dismantled….

In thought, word, and deed, Zohran Mamdani has made clear he has little love for the NYPD. For him, they are part of the white establishment — though many police are themselves “black or brown” — whom he clearly believes do not protect, but oppress, those for whom Mamdani presumes to speak. His support for “defunding the police” is a policy that he has now tried to walk back, given the ferocious opposition it aroused, but it is clear that his heart is still with defunding, and should he become mayor, no longer needing to win the votes of police and their supporters, he will likely return to his defunding policies. He will cap overtime pay, institute a partial hiring freeze, end the calculation of retirement pay based only on the highest salary attained in a year by the retiree, and create an atmosphere of hostility to the police that will lower morale of those still serving, and decrease the attractiveness of the occupation to possible new recruits.

New York will become a more dangerous city, especially for its poorer citizens. But why should Zohran Mamdani care? He’ll be living in Gracie Mansion, already planning his next political move — for he has a lean and hungry look, ands already sees the mayoralty as a stepping-stone to higher office — perhaps as a congressman, replacing his friend and helpmeet Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should she run for senator. Or he might even run for senator himself, just like that other democratic socialist, Senator Bernie Sanders. The New York Police be damned; he’s got bigger things than the city and its safety in mind. It’s onward and upward with Zohran Mamdani!