Mayor Mamdani Launches NYPD Use-of-Force Review Amid Unfulfilled Campaign Promises

<p>New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the launch of an internal review of the New York Police Department’s use of force on October 12, 2026. However, the initiative does not fulfill several of his campaign promises, including the disbandment of a controversial police unit and the elimination of a database of suspected gang members.</p><p>"When the government uses force against a New Yorker, the standard for accountability must be at its highest," Mamdani stated in a press release. "Every New Yorker deserves to know that force will be used lawfully, carefully and only when necessary."</p><p>More than nine months after taking office, Mamdani has not yet fulfilled several campaign pledges, including disbanding the NYPD's Strategic Response Group, eliminating its database of suspected gang members, and reallocating police resources away from low-level offenses.</p><p>The review follows the May 2026 retirement of one of the officers involved in the 2024 shooting of 19-year-old Win Rozario, which occurred before any disciplinary trial could take place.</p><p>Video footage of the confrontation, captured in March 2024, shows officers responding to a call made by Rozario. An altercation ensued when Rozario, experiencing a mental health crisis, reacted negatively to the police presence, leading officers to use Tasers on him. Afterward, Rozario advanced on officers with scissors, prompting them to shoot him at close range.</p><p>New York Attorney General Letitia James' office declined to bring criminal charges against the officers in December 2025, stating that prosecutors could not disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that their use of deadly force was justified under state law.</p><p>Mamdani framed his initiative as a means to enhance accountability within the police force.</p><p>The initiative includes an additional $2.6 million in funding for the Office of Inspector General for the NYPD. Furthermore, the NYPD will notify state authorities when officers facing disciplinary charges retire, allowing for potential decertification and preventing those officers from evading scrutiny by joining other law enforcement agencies.</p><p>According to Mamdani, this use-of-force review is the first of its kind in over a decade and will involve a "robust community engagement process."</p><p>"We have an obligation to Win’s family and to every New Yorker who calls for help in a moment of crisis. This review is about ensuring our policies reflect that responsibility," Mamdani said.</p><p>Notably, the proposed changes do not fulfill campaign promises made by Mamdani to eliminate certain policing activities.</p><p>Mamdani had called for an end to NYPD arrests for lower-level crimes such as public urination and open container violations, arguing that these activities hinder officers from addressing violent crimes effectively.</p><p>"The fact that every year we ask them to take on additional responsibilities – we are making it more and more difficult for them to respond to the very responsibilities that drew them to the job in the first place," Mamdani stated last fall.</p><p>During his tenure, public urination summonses have increased by 18%, according to recent reports.</p><p>Mamdani also promised to end a database of suspected gang members and to disband the Strategic Response Group, which has been criticized for its aggressive tactics during protests.</p><p>"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," Mamdani said in a post shortly after announcing his candidacy for mayor.</p><p>In addition to these elements, Mamdani retained Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who was appointed by his predecessor, Eric Adams.</p><p>Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding whether his police reform plans have diverged from those originally outlined before he took office.</p>