City Council members say they were blindsided by Mayor Zohran Mamdani's last-minute decision to remove nearly 600 promised new NYPD officers from the city's $125.8 billion budget. Sources familiar with the negotiations stated that Mamdani informed City Council Speaker Julie Menin of the cut late Monday, just after a tentative budget agreement had been reached.
This reversal came despite Mamdani having previously pledged to hire 580 additional officers, a promise that had already drawn criticism from his progressive allies who advocated for freezing the NYPD's headcount. Council members expressed surprise and frustration at the move, which occurred after they had relied on the administration's earlier commitment.
"We were completely blindsided when the mayor sucker-punched us with this reversal after a deal was done," said David Carr, the City Council's minority leader. "When an administration publicly announces that it is hiring 580 police officers, you're supposed to be able to take them at their word."
The timing of the cut, which sources described as deliberate, prevented the Council from significantly challenging the decision without jeopardizing the budget deal ahead of a looming deadline. The budget was ultimately approved 45-6 late Tuesday.
Concerns were also raised about the transparency of the budget process, as specific details of the spending plan had not been released to the public or council members a day after its approval. Councilwoman Joann Ariola criticized the lack of clarity, stating, "If the mayor is deceptive enough to pull the police from the budget at the last minute, who knows what he is hoping to slip into the final budget."
The budget negotiations also involved a contentious point regarding funding for a housing voucher program, which was ultimately resolved in a deal that reportedly left many council members dissatisfied.
The removal of the promised police hires is particularly notable as the NYPD faces increased demands, with officers working 12-hour shifts due to major events like World Cup tourism and Fourth of July celebrations. The department's staffing has been a concern since 2020, when retirements began to outpace new recruits.
According to sources, the additional officers Mamdani initially proposed were intended to alleviate strain on existing street cop capacity and allow for crucial training in de-escalation and mental health response. "The cops were 'for literally everything they care about,'" one source noted.
Speaker Menin stated her disagreement with the decision to cut the police hires, as well as a separate move to not add a fifth member to FDNY fire trucks. "We need to be adding police officers," Menin said, referencing that the city currently has fewer officers than it did on 9/11.
Some lawmakers and insiders felt the speaker could have pushed back more forcefully against the mayor's late decision. An NYPD spokesperson commented on the department's ability to manage with current resources, stating, "The department is able to police effectively with the budgeted headcount we have, driving crime down month after month."
Mamdani did not respond to questions regarding the police cut when approached by reporters after a security briefing.