A surge of police officers into neighborhoods of color with high crime. A spike in subway arrests and summonses. Courts so backlogged that officials had to temporarily reopen an emergency overnight shift. And at least three people who died in NYPD custody after being arrested for low-level offenses.
Public defenders and police reform advocates say Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s first five months in office have featured alarming examples of “broken windows” policing, despite his promise to bring a new approach to public safety.
The mounting frustration among some criminal justice reform advocates and people who voted for Mamdani could come to a head this summer as NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch plans to “flood the zone” this summer with up to 3,800 officers in high-crime areas, including public housing complexes and subway stations. The boosted police presence comes as the city enters the global spotlight for the World Cup…