Mamdani’s Mayoral Aspirations and Police Relations
Zoran Mamdani, a leading candidate for mayor, has spoken about NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tish, acknowledging her role in reducing crime but refraining from confirming her continuation in the role if he wins the election.
At a community event known as National Night Out, Mamdani was asked whether he would keep the popular police chief. He avoided a direct answer and addressed previous comments he made regarding a slain police officer, which had drawn some criticism.
“We appreciate the decisive actions Tish has taken to combat corruption within the NYPD’s upper management and her efforts to lower crime rates in the city,” he remarked to the press. However, he added, “It’s a bit early for me to make commitments like that during the general election.”
His comments come as recent NYPD data indicates a significant decrease in crime statistics under Tish’s guidance. This week, the department reported 412 shooting incidents with 489 victims in the first seven months of 2025, numbers that break historic records.
These figures have surpassed previous lows from 2017 and 2018, shattering earlier records for both total shootings and shooting victims.
Mamdani also responded to critiques from Mayor Eric Adams, who suggested that Mamdani only remembered police funerals during his campaign. While he didn’t directly address the criticisms, he emphasized his focus on the issues affecting his district in Astoria and Long Island City instead.
At just 33 years old, Mamdani previously spent over four years in the state legislature. He noted the importance of acknowledging the tragedies and victories within his constituency.
He recently paid tribute to the family of NYPD officer DiDarlu Islam, who was recently shot during a mass shooting in a Park Avenue office. Despite the attention on police funerals, Mamdani faced scrutiny for not attending memorials for fallen officers throughout his legislative career.
“As I campaign for citywide office, my priorities include addressing the tragic mass shootings affecting our city,” he stated, expressing a hope that violence against police officers would not continue during or after his campaign.
