During a debate on Wednesday night, Zoran Mamdani, a socialist candidate for mayor in New York, hinted that he believes mental health professionals should take the lead in handling certain crises.
The candidates, including Mamdani, former governors Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, were asked whether they would encourage Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to stay in her role.
Mamdani expressed that he would support her remaining in the position, stating that his administration would “relentlessly pursue safety and affordability for all New Yorkers.”
“To achieve that, assembling a top-tier team is essential. Eric Adams has really built up the upper ranks,” he noted. He criticized the New York City Police Department for corruption and incompetence, saying, “Secretary Tisch embraced the flawed status quo but has worked on accountability, tackling corruption and lowering crime in all five boroughs.”
He stated, “I’ve consistently said that my standard for this role is excellence, and adjustments will be made. I’m confident that under my administration, we’ll keep pursuing that mission.” He plans to establish “a community safety authority to ensure mental health professionals handle mental health crises.”
“Safety and justice are fundamental to our approach to public safety, and achieving this also aligns with our affordability objectives,” he added.
Mamdani previously voiced his opposition to police involvement in domestic disputes, a sentiment expressed in July 2020 during a podcast segment called “Cross-Cultural Conversations.” He remarked, “Police don’t create safety… We’ve piled a lot of duties onto police that really don’t belong to them. If someone is walking on an overpass, or if there’s a situation like domestic violence, there are folks specially trained for those scenarios who are much better suited than someone carrying a gun.”
During the debate, Republican candidate Sliwa echoed support for Tisch to stay but suggested that neither Mamdani nor Cuomo would remain as mayor, citing Tisch’s strong criticism of cash bail.
“Mr. Cuomo is behind no-cash bail, and Mr. Zoran is just following in his footsteps. That’s why we have criminals out on the streets,” he commented.
Cuomo also expressed support for Tisch but questioned Mamdani’s commitment to that promise. He pointed out, “The DSA’s stance has been to defund, even dismantle, the police. She wouldn’t go along with that. His current stance is a budget freeze, which would reduce police officers. She has called for more police. Mayor Adams has done the same. He wants to decriminalize prostitution; I doubt she would agree with that.”
clock:
The election is scheduled for November 4, 2025.
