New York City Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani’s Controversial Safety Plan
Zoran Mamdani, the incoming mayor of New York City, has ambitious plans to replace police officers with social workers in response to 911 calls, despite a previous initiative facing challenges. The Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance and Response Division (B-HEARD) was started in 2021 but currently serves only select areas, responding to emergencies with a team from the Fire Department that includes paramedics and a social worker.
However, an audit of this pilot program revealed concerning statistics. Over 60% of the calls received were not eligible for a B-HEARD response, and of those that were, 35% went unanswered, raising questions about the efficiency of the initiative. The Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health does not seem to track unanswered calls, leaving the reasons unclear.
Between 2022 and 2024, the department recorded nearly 100,000 calls, but only about 25% were actually addressed. Mamdani’s vision involves integrating B-HEARD into a new $1.1 billion Department of Community Safety (DCS), intended to “fill gaps” in existing programs and services aimed at preventing violence through a public health approach.
“Its mission is to prevent violence before it occurs by adopting a public health approach to safety,” the proposal states.
The plan aims to enhance B-HEARD by introducing peer counselors, applying “trauma-informed care,” and expanding the program throughout the city, focusing additional resources on high-need districts. This would result in a significant funding increase, with plans to place teams in every district.
Reactions to Mamdani’s proposals have been mixed, especially in light of the B-HEARD results. Richard Aborn from the New York City Citizens Crime Commission noted that while a program might not seem effective, the real issue often lies in resources and execution.
“The devil is in the details. The detail here is execution,” Aborn remarked.
On the other hand, John Makari, a former NYPD lieutenant, voiced strong skepticism about Mamdani’s strategy. He described it as potentially reckless, arguing that determining the need for police intervention over the phone for someone experiencing a mental health crisis could create risk for civilians and responders alike. He emphasized the complexity of assessing such situations remotely, suggesting that Mamdani’s proposal lacks substantive planning and consultation with key stakeholders.
Mamdani’s views on law enforcement have noticeably shifted over time. Back in 2020, before B-HEARD, he advocated for defunding the NYPD, describing it as corrupt.
“Defund, dismantle and end the cycle of violence,” he tweeted then, expressing strong discontent with the police.
Joseph Giacalone, a former officer and current criminal justice professor, criticized the plan as poorly thought out. His main concern revolves around the potential consequences if dispatchers make incorrect assessments, questioning the accountability the city would bear in such situations.
