Democratic Socialists of America criticizes Mayor Mamdani's move to increase NYPD headcount

Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News on Jun 12, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

NEW YORK — The New York City Democratic Socialists of America — a group closely aligned with Mayor Zohran Mamdani — issued a rebuke of his move to drive up the Police Department’s headcount despite his campaign trail pledge to keep NYPD numbers flat.

In rare public criticism of Mamdani, the group called on him to reverse that decision, and reminded him of his promises as a candidate that, they said, “gave us hope for a transformative approach to public safety.”

“We acknowledge that Mayor Mamdani has taken a significant step on this path by creating the Office of Community Safety (OCS),” the group’s statement said. “Yet he has recently committed to increasing the NYPD headcount by 580 officers — an increase which will require at least $70 million in the city budget. This runs counter to the values of the socialist and working-class movement that elected him.”

The group also urged Mamdani to follow through on his promises to eliminate the NYPD’s controversial Strategic Response Group, as well as the department’s gang database.

“The NYPD’s headcount is increasing, which is a reversal of a campaign promise that many of us campaigned on to elect this mayor,” NYC-DSA Co-Chairperson Gustavo Gordillo told The New York Daily News. “And it’s a promise that’s important to much of his base. We as leaders of the organization are responsive to our members and we hear what they’re saying and we agree that, you know, I would rather have 500 additional vacancies filled in any number of agencies.”

The DSA group’s steering committee voted unanimously to issue the statement.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed the new authorized headcount at a City Council hearing last week, though it was also included in the mayor’s executive budget plan.

In an interview last week on WNYC, Mamdani defended the move, saying that adding a second patrol borough in the Bronx with an additional 200 officers, plus additional Police Academy training requirements, made the increase necessary.

“Because of these two issues, we saw there’s a slight increase in the budgeted headcount, and that is as a result of both of these,” Mamdani said.

Sam Raskin, a mayoral spokesperson, pointed to Mamdani’s statements since becoming mayor reiterating his support for doing away with the SRG, in response to the DSA’s criticism.

Mamdani has regularly emphasized his political identity as a democratic socialist, telling supporters at his inauguration and 100-day speech that he was “elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist.”

NYC-DSA also recently broke with the mayor when pushing him to endorse their full slate of candidates.

_____