A $77 million state funding initiative meant to bolster the presence of NYPD officers in the subway has been depleted, leading the Mamdani administration to find ways to finance the additional police patrols, sources informed The Post.
This state fund, which Governor Kathy Hochul promoted last December to maintain a higher number of uniformed officers in the subway system, was exhausted by July—less than a month into the city’s fiscal year, as confirmed by both city and state officials.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a socialist who ran on a platform aimed at eliminating police overtime entirely, now faces the challenge of adhering to an agreement made by his predecessor, Eric Adams, to sustain the increased police presence in the transit system amid rising underground assaults.
The announcement of the depleted funds arrives as subway felony assaults have risen by 8% this month, while total subway crime has seen a slight overall decrease of about 1%, according to data from the NYPD.
Misdemeanor assaults in the subway have surged even more dramatically, showing an increase of nearly 18% this month, reaching approximately 1,200 incidents, as per the statistics.
Additionally, there’s been a notable rise in repeat offenders for felony assaults, with 263 individuals arrested at least three times for such crimes through August 31, reflecting a staggering 205.6% increase compared to the same timeframe in 2018, according to the NYPD.
Mamdani, whose allies in the NYC Democratic Socialists of America have persistently called for defunding the NYPD, has not referenced the extra police overtime amid his promotion of a substantial $126 billion budget—a $10 billion increase from the previous year.
This initial budget, bolstered by several one-time financial strategies, allocated considerable funds for various projects including $54 million for a public engagement office and $250 million for a scaled-back community safety office. However, it did not include provisions for adding 580 officers, who were anticipated to help reduce overtime expenses.
“The City and State will continue to support enhanced NYPD subway patrols under the existing funding arrangement,” stated mayoral spokesman Sam Raskin.
The NYPD will keep deploying the additional officers, a department representative confirmed to The Post.
Addressing felony assault remains a central focus for the NYPD, which reportedly makes arrests in about 80% of felony cases throughout the city.
Despite concerns, a significant 71% of subway riders still report feeling safe using the system, according to police assessments.
Hochul’s office indicated that an agreement was made back in December—before Mamdani’s administration began—that required the NYPD to cover costs for the latter half of 2026.
During last year’s announcement, the governor did not mention the arrangement with the city, only highlighting her commitment to allocate the $77 million once her budget passed in the following spring.
“These funds will support over 600 officers daily, ensuring rider safety and increasing patrols as necessary, based on our Police Commissioner’s discretion, especially for those working overtime,” she said then.
The $77 million fund was intended to maintain heightened police presence following initiatives that increased subway surveillance, redirected homeless individuals into care, and positioned more officers within the subway lines, as the governor noted at the time.
In 2025, Hochul announced an additional $154 million partnership with former Mayor Adams to further enhance subway patrols, with the costs shared between the city and state.
However, when the governor unveiled the new funds last December alongside Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, it wasn’t communicated that the city would also need to contribute $77 million in the latter half of 2026.
“For the past two years, the governor has provided $77 million to the city for elevated NYPD presence in the subway system for half of the year, with reciprocal funding from the city covering the other half,” remarked spokesman Anthony Hogrebe. “That agreement is still intact, and there hasn’t been any disruption in overtime coverage.”
