Mamdani’s Office of Community Safety makes the case for its own existence to the City Council

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign pledge to expand non-police response to public safety was put under the microscope during a City Council oversight hearing Friday, examining the work of the new Office of Community Safety.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin questioned what relationship the office, led by Commissioner Ayesha Delany-Brumsey, has with the New York City Police Department. Delany-Brumsey, who reports directly to the also-new Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Renita Francois, suggested their communication with the NYPD was quite extensive. She said the office is in daily contact with the NYPD and also has weekly meetings with police leadership. The NYPD also shares data and police alerts everyday with the office.

When Mamdani signed an executive order in March establishing the new office, he placed five existing offices under its umbrella: the Office of Crime Victim Services, the Office for Neighborhood Safety and the Prevention of Gun Violence, the Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and the Office of Community Mental Health.

Council Members Frank Morano and Phil Wong argued during the hearing that the fact that the new office encompassed these five existing offices made it redundant and increased red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy, questioning why it exists.

“The goal of combining all of them within OCS is that we can have a more comprehensive approach to violence,” Delany-Brumsey said. “People don’t experience violence in isolation. People who have experienced domestic violence have significant behavioral health needs. Neighborhoods with higher rates of gun violence also have higher rates of domestic violence. Combining these offices together allows us to have the resources and the expertise.”

But the office is distinct from the NYPD. Menin asked Delany-Brumsey whether she thought there should be more officers in the NYPD, mentioning the mayor’s plan earlier this year to increase the NYPD headcount by 580 before backing away from the idea. Delany-Brumsey made clear her office doesn’t support more cops in the police force.

“We have relied on law enforcement for too long to respond to social service needs that are really outside our scope and expertise of law enforcement,” Delany-Brumsey said. “The vision of the Office of Community Safety is to build out a set of responses that will be a core component of our public safety and public health system.”

Menin also expressed concern about an increased number of felony assaults, rapes and hate crimes citywide and asked Delany-Brumsey what benchmarks the office should be held accountable for, given the city is investing $271 million into its budget.

“We are holding ourselves accountable, and we should hold ourselves accountable for the idea that we are going to have a comprehensive approach to violence,” Delany-Brumsey said in response, adding that the office’s work includes bringing together victims’ services operations already in the five entities within the office to reach more victims of crime.