New York City Mayor Initiates Review of NYPD Use of Force

Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City announced on Monday that an internal review of the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) use of force would begin. However, this initiative doesn’t fully meet several promises he made during his campaign, such as disbanding a controversial police unit and abolishing a database that tracks suspected gang members.

“When the government uses force against a New Yorker, the standard for accountability must be at its highest,” Mamdani stated in a press release. He emphasized that every New Yorker has the right to know that force will be applied lawfully and only when absolutely necessary.

Though Mamdani is now over nine months into his term, he has not yet addressed multiple campaign commitments. These include shutting down the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group, getting rid of the gang database, and redirecting police resources from minor offenses.

This review initiative follows the retirement of one officer involved in the shooting of 19-year-old Win Rozario in May 2026, a scenario that unfolded before any disciplinary action could occur.

Footage from the March 2024 incident shows Rozario, who was experiencing a mental health crisis, reacting violently to police presence during a house call he made. In the confrontation, police used Tasers on him, but he remained unrestrained and advanced on them with scissors, leading officers to shoot him at close range.

The New York Attorney General’s office decided against charging the officers involved in December 2025, stating that prosecutors couldn’t definitively prove the use of deadly force was unjustified under state law.

Mamdani framed his review as an effort to bolster accountability. His plan includes an extra $2.6 million in funding for the Office of Inspector General for the NYPD. Additionally, there will be a requirement for the NYPD to inform state authorities when any officer facing disciplinary charges retires, which could help stop those officers from evading oversight by moving to other law enforcement roles.

The changes will accompany what Mamdani described as the first comprehensive use-of-force review in over a decade, which is expected to involve a thorough community engagement process.

“We owe it to Win’s family and to every New Yorker who reaches out for help in a crisis. This review is meant to ensure our policies reflect that duty,” he said.

However, these proposed changes don’t fully align with Mamdani’s earlier promises to eliminate certain police activities. He had advocated for the end of arrests for minor offenses like public urination and open containers, claiming that such practices hampered police efforts to combat violent crime.

Interestingly, public urination summonses have actually increased by 18% during his time in office, according to recent reports.

Mamdani had also intended to abolish the database tracking suspected gang members and dissolve the Strategic Response Group— a unit criticized for its aggressive tactics during protests. In a statement posted to social media shortly after announcing his candidacy, he asserted, “As Mayor, I will disband the SRG, which has cost taxpayers millions in lawsuit settlements and brutalized countless New Yorkers exercising their First Amendment rights.”

Despite keeping these departments intact, he has also maintained Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who had been appointed by former Mayor Eric Adams.

His office has not yet publicly addressed whether his current approach to police reform diverges from the agenda he laid out prior to assuming office.