Recent reports reveal that New York City’s newly unveiled budget omits a proposed expansion for the police department’s workforce, which had been previously considered.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who identifies as a democratic socialist, stated, “I have been engaging with all agency heads to explore saving strategies, and through discussions with Commissioner Tisch, we have found ways to maintain the NYPD’s authorized staff count at 35,000. This achieves our crime-fighting objectives while rolling out the new initiatives announced earlier this year.”
The mayor’s office received inquiries from News Media on Wednesday.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin were present for the 2027 budget announcement held in City Hall’s rotunda on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Photo credit: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In a statement to News Media on Wednesday, the NYPD commented, “The city’s financial difficulties are well-known, and the mayor has requested that every department leader look for efficiencies. Commissioner Tisch, who has successfully led three city agencies in her career, has a commendable record of improving efficiency, modernizing operations, and achieving results, even with tight budgets. Currently, the department operates effectively with our budgeted staffing, continuously reducing crime rates monthly. Our current headcount and hiring plan offer the necessary flexibility to maintain this progress throughout the next fiscal year.”
The New York City Democratic Socialists of America had spoken out against the prospect of an increase earlier this month.
Part of a statement posted on the left-wing group’s X profile, which appeared to also have been joined by several other groups, declared, “We are calling on Mayor Mamdani to reverse this proposed expansion of the NYPD and invest the money in community safety programs instead.”
An NYPD car is decorated in pride colors during the New York City Pride March on June 28, 2026. (Manoli Figetakis/Getty Images)
The NYC-DSA reposted City Council member Tiffany Cabán’s statement hailing the news about the budget on Tuesday.
“I am proud too have worked closely with the Mayor and public safety advocates to ensure there was no increase to the NYPD’s headcount in this budget,” Cabán said. “Every dollar we spend on policing and incarceration means money we can’t spend on housing, mental health care, substance use treatment, and economic stability: the proven policies that actually keep our communities healthy and safe.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Julie Menin, speaker of the New York City Council, during an announcement on the 2027 budget in the rotunda of City Hall in New York, on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“This budget is an important check on the failed policy of broken windows policing and will allow us to build a public safety infrastructure rooted in care, not punishment and incarceration. And we will keep building on it,” she added.