Mayor Zohran Mamdani's safety plan is under fire after two NYPD shootings sparked fresh questions about his proposal to create a new Department of Community Safety, which would deploy civilian workers to mental health emergencies. The victims, both with reported signs of mental health issues, were shot and killed by police in Brooklyn and the West Village.
The first shooting occurred at a hospital where the man allegedly barricaded himself in a room and attempted to harm an elderly patient and security staff. Five hours later, another man was shot after pointing a fake gun at police. The mayor's response has been met with some criticism, with many praising his acknowledgment of the challenges faced by officers in such situations.
However, when asked if his proposed department would have sent mental health workers to the scenes, Mamdani refused to engage, citing hypotheticals. This sparked questions about whether his plan is ready for implementation.
City Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who drafted legislation for the Department of Community Safety, emphasized that both officers and mental health professionals are needed in emergency situations. The goal of this new department is to connect people struggling with mental illness to treatments, housing, and support, which would prevent such tragedies from occurring in the first place.
The police-involved deaths have also drawn comparisons to a contentious debate under former Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration. The community is cautiously optimistic that Mamdani's comments have struck the right note, acknowledging the challenges faced by officers without speculating on the incidents while they are under investigation.
However, some experts argue that the investigations into these shootings should focus on prevention rather than accountability for individual officers.
The first shooting occurred at a hospital where the man allegedly barricaded himself in a room and attempted to harm an elderly patient and security staff. Five hours later, another man was shot after pointing a fake gun at police. The mayor's response has been met with some criticism, with many praising his acknowledgment of the challenges faced by officers in such situations.
However, when asked if his proposed department would have sent mental health workers to the scenes, Mamdani refused to engage, citing hypotheticals. This sparked questions about whether his plan is ready for implementation.
City Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who drafted legislation for the Department of Community Safety, emphasized that both officers and mental health professionals are needed in emergency situations. The goal of this new department is to connect people struggling with mental illness to treatments, housing, and support, which would prevent such tragedies from occurring in the first place.
The police-involved deaths have also drawn comparisons to a contentious debate under former Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration. The community is cautiously optimistic that Mamdani's comments have struck the right note, acknowledging the challenges faced by officers without speculating on the incidents while they are under investigation.
However, some experts argue that the investigations into these shootings should focus on prevention rather than accountability for individual officers.
92% of NYC residents support the creation of a new Department of Community Safety! 
And I'm not surprised why... our mental health crisis is getting out of control 
. The stats are crazy - 1 in 5 people will experience some form of mental illness this year alone 
! 
! That's why we need trained professionals on the frontlines - not just cops 
.
... which is roughly 10 times more than what's spent on mental health programs 
. It's time to rethink how we prioritize our resources 
!
. i mean mayor mamdani's trying to do something new w/ community safety but his response 2 criticism feels kinda vague 
. shouldn't he be more clear about whether mental health workers would've been deployed 2 those scenes? it's like, yeah we get it, you acknowledge the challenges, but what's the plan B? 
it's like when we're trying to fix a big problem like police violence & mental health crises... if we can't even agree on how to approach it, is our plan gonna work in real life? 
the point is, we gotta keep having these conversations 'cause it's all about finding solutions that actually work! 
. And let's be real, who wants to send officers into a hospital where someone's having a mental breakdown when we can send trained mental health workers instead? 
It just makes sense, you know?
. Mamdani's department sounds like a good idea, but if it can't even handle hypotheticals properly, how's it gonna fly in real life? 
Meanwhile, I'm over here thinking that if we had a Department of Community Safety like this from the start, none of these shootings would've happened in the first place 
. We need to focus on prevention, not just reacting after something goes wrong