Mamdani unveils sweeping review of NYPD use of force, but refuses to deliver on key campaign promises.
After the Wayne Rosario shooting, Zahran Mamdani launched a review of the NYPD's use of the force, but fell short of campaign pledges.
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New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani defended the police, jails and prisons, and distanced her administration from a DSA repeal platform.
New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani announced Monday the launch of an internal review of the New York Police Department's use of force, but the initiative falls short of several of his campaign promises, including a pledge to disband a controversial police unit and eliminate a database of suspected gang members.
Mamdani said in a statement: "When the government uses force against a New Yorker, the standard of accountability must be at its highest." "Every New Yorker deserves to know that force will be used legally, carefully, and only when necessary."
More than nine months into office, Mamdani has yet to fulfill several of his campaign promises, including disbanding the NYPD's Strategic Response Team, eliminating a database of suspected gang members and diverting police resources from low-level crime.
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The review followed the retirement of one of the officers involved in the May 2026 shooting death of 19-year-old Wayne Rosario — which occurred before any disciplinary hearing was held.
Video footage of the encounter, recorded in March 2024, shows officers responding to a domestic call placed by Rosario himself. A fight ensued when Rosario, who was having a mental health crisis, reacted negatively to police presence, prompting police to use a Taser on him. Unyielding, Rosario grabbed a pair of scissors and advanced toward the officers, who shot him at close range.
New York Attorney General Letitia James' office declined to file criminal charges against the officers in December 2025, concluding that prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their use of deadly force was justified under state law.
The mayor saw his initiative as a way to strengthen and improve accountability.
Mamdani's initiative comes with $2.6 million in additional funding for the NYPD's Office of the Inspector General. In addition, the NYPD also notifies state officials when officers facing disciplinary charges retire, allowing the state to consider decertification and avoid scrutiny by joining another law enforcement agency.
The changes will be accompanied by a use-of-force review, the first of its kind in more than a decade, according to Mamdani, and will include a "robust community engagement process."
"We have an obligation to the Wayne family and to every New Yorker who reaches out for help in a moment of crisis. This review is to ensure our policies reflect that responsibility," Mamdani said.
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It is noteworthy that the proposed adjustments are less than the campaign promises made by Mamdani to eliminate some police activities.
In particular, Mamdani called for an end to NYPD arrests for low-level offenses such as public urination and open container violations, noting that such activity makes it more difficult for officers to combat violent crime.
"The fact that we're asking them to take on more responsibilities every year makes it harder for them to meet the responsibilities that got them into this job in the first place," Mamdani said last fall.
According to recent reports, public urine summonses have increased during his tenure, increasing by 18 percent.
Mamdani also promised to end the database of suspected gang members. He also called for the end of the Strategic Response Group (SRG), a special police force that had come under fire for its aggressive tactics in suppressing protests.
"As mayor, I will disband SRG, costing taxpayers millions of dollars in lawsuit settlement fees and countless New Yorkers exercising their First Amendment rights," Mamdani told X in a post shortly after announcing his mayoral bid.
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In addition to retaining these elements, Mamdani retained Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who was appointed by Mamdani's predecessor, Eric Adams.
Mamdanifter did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether his police reform plans took a different course than he had originally outlined before taking office.
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