The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America publicly rebuked Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday after the NYPD moved to add roughly 580 uniformed positions this year. The organization says the hires roll back the mayor’s campaign vows to keep headcount steady and warns the expansion will cost the city tens of millions of dollars, while it renews calls to dismantle controversial police units.
According to the New York Daily News, NYC-DSA said the increase would come to about 580 officers and would require at least $70 million in the city budget. The group’s steering committee, the outlet reports, voted unanimously to demand that the mayor eliminate the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group and purge the department’s gang database.
Commissioner Jessica Tisch disclosed the department’s new authorized headcount at a City Council budget hearing on Monday, saying the FY27 budgeted uniform headcount will be 35,555, an increase of 580 positions, and laying out a roughly $6.59 billion NYPD budget, according to the City Council transcript. Officials said the new positions are expected to be phased in through academy classes this year as patrol strength continues to climb…