Socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani stirred controversy with his 2020 Immigrantly Podcast comments suggesting police aren’t suited for domestic violence calls. On the program, Mamdani insisted: “if somebody is jaywalking, if somebody is surviving, going through domestic violence—there are so many different…situations that would be far better handled by people trained to deal with those specific situations, as opposed to an individual with a gun.” His statement aligns with his campaign promise to replace cops with “crisis responders,” though he hasn’t clarified if domestic violence falls under that new model.
The timing matters: the NYPD logged more than 110,000 domestic violence calls in 2024—overwhelmingly in minority neighborhoods like East New York, Little Haiti, the North Bronx, and the South Bronx.
Critics argue Mamdani’s policy could endanger victims. Sonia Ossorio, president of NYC NOW, warned: “Domestic violence cases are often the most high‑lethality cases where police response is urgently needed…The idea of removing police protection is outrageous.” Former NYPD detective Pete Panuccio, after decades on the force, called Mamdani’s stance “absolutely insane,” warning, “Homicide rates will increase, women will be pulverized… There will be no defense for at‑risk people.”
In 2020, Mamdani also accused police in minority neighborhoods of acting as an “occupying force,” backing the #DefundTheNYPD movement and writing that police “create and amplify violence.”
