New York’s leaders are offering badly clashing visions of public safety — at a time when cooperation is more important than ever to protect fragile crime wins.
At a Thursday press conference with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch in the Grand Central Madison subway station, Gov. Kathy Hochul heaped praise onto the NYPD for record-low transit crime, down nearly 25% since last year.
Major subway crime is down 14% from pre-pandemic levels.
That’s a stunning shift from just last September, when murders in the system were brushing against the 25-year high set in 2022.
Hochul credited “a surge of police officers into the subway” as one key reason for gains, and pledged another $77 million in state cash to cover cop overtime in the transit system; Tisch in turn cheered, “None of this happens without the governor’s investments” into getting officers away from desk jobs and onto platforms and trains.
“This is not the time to ease up,” the commish warned: Public transit “must be safe,” and “through the dedicated, tireless work of the men and women of the New York City Police Department, it will be safe.”
The core message from both women was clear: More law enforcement equals less crime, and success greatly depends on leaders being on the same page.
Yet Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani the same day gave every indication this unity will break the minute he takes office, crowing at the Queens Community House that in his City Hall, cops will “no longer” be the primary responders to calls related to “a homelessness crisis” or “a mental-health crisis.”
Hmm: Tisch and Hochul lean in on using cops, while Mamdani wants to sideline them on two of the biggest causes of subway disorder.
Taking the lead instead will be civilian staff in his “Department of Community Safety,” which City Councilman Lincoln Restler introduced an 11th-hour bill to establish.
Mamdani’s obsession with replacing officers with social workers jibes with the progressive faith that reducing law-enforcers interaction the public is a win — but it’s utterly at odds with the values and the highly successful methods of Commissioner Tisch, which have Gov. Hochul’s full-throated support.
Hochul’s eager to work with Mamdani, and Tisch has agreed to stay on under him; the city wins if the NYPD doesn’t have to compromise on the proactive-policing approach that has produced such impressive results.
But with zero philosophical coherence between the Mamdani camp and 1 Police Plaza (or the gov), it’s hard to see any way that happens — unless Mamdani can face facts and admit that cops are not only essential to public safety, but a force for good.
New York’s gains against crime show that public safety improves when leaders at all levels work together.
If Mamdani can’t get on board with Tisch’s effective, proven vision for crime-fighting, those wins will be the first thing to go.
