Zoran Mamdani, the newly elected mayor of New York City, is interested in significant reforms in policing, as indicated by reports about his chief adviser, El Bisgo Church.
According to several sources, Mamdani, who identifies as a democratic socialist, won the mayoral election on November 4.
El Bisgo Church is said to have played a key role in the campaign’s proposal to send social workers to handle specific nonviolent 911 calls throughout the city.
The proposal, which has faced significant criticism, was championed by El Bisgo Church, a California native with an Ivy League education and a relatively new figure in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Mamdani reaffirmed Church’s position as chief adviser on Monday, a role he previously held during Mamdani’s campaign and during his time as a state representative.
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Church reportedly engaged with mental health experts, safety officials from other cities, former NYPD Chief Rodney Harrison, among others, to develop a plan for a community safety agency. This agency aims to replace police in handling non-life-threatening emergencies, particularly at subway stations. The estimated cost for establishing this department is about $1.1 billion, as outlined in a campaign proposal on Mamdani’s website.
In terms of policing, Mamdani has previously advocated for dismantling the NYPD and has expressed intentions to “defund the police,” according to articles from July.
Interestingly, the following month, it’s noted that Mamdani allocated tens of thousands of dollars for private security during his campaign.
Reports indicate that the self-identified socialist state representative made multiple payments to Advanced Security and Investigations Inc. in June and July, totaling between $8,000 and $13,000, as revealed by expenditure records.
Most recently, in October, Mamdani remarked that he believes “mental health professionals,” rather than police officers, should respond to incidents of crime.
