Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s recent response to law enforcement, which some have interpreted as a backlash against the NYPD, may not hurt him as much as previous mayors and may ultimately work to his overall political advantage, a local crime expert told Fox Digital News.
“This probably won’t hurt Mamdani as much as it would have hurt another mayor,” said Rafael Mangual, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
“I do think Zohran Mamdani can serve as an opponent and critic of the NYPD. I think he comes from some ideological perspective and doesn’t believe the NYPD actually reduces crime. So if the NYPD is withdrawn and crime goes up, I think he would see that as an opportunity to further criticize the NYPD and make the case for why the NYPD should be defunded in favor of the Department of Community Safety and some other proposals that he would rather invest in.”
Mangur said two major incidents in the city showed the mayor would not defend the police department and could lead to officers retreating due to a lack of support. They include an incident last month in Washington Square Park known as “Snowball Gate,” in which about 100 people threw snowballs at NYPD officers, injuring two officers.
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to reporters during a news conference on February 17, 2026 in New York.
(AP Newsroom)
Instead of condemning the attack, Mamdani appeared to downplay the violence, calling the perpetrators “children” taking part in a snowball fight.
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“In that incident, Mamdani did not come out in support of the NYPD. Instead, he seemed dismissive and even refused to call for the prosecution of the perpetrators,” Mangur said, adding that the rioters’ actions were clearly consistent with an attack on police.
“Unfortunately, I think the mayor’s response is flawed. He seems unwilling to condemn it as an attack. He seems unwilling to even say that this is something that shouldn’t be done in the future, and I think that’s going to create a feeling within the NYPD that this administration doesn’t have their support.”
Perhaps more concerning, Mangur said, is Mamdani’s reaction to a recent officer-involved shooting in Queens, in which Mamdani was attacked with a deadly weapon immediately after body camera footage showed an officer entering the home at the homeowner’s invitation. call District attorneys are not prosecuting knife-wielding suspects who are reported to be mentally ill.
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Additionally, Mamdani visited the attacker and his family after the incident.
“For Mayor Mamdani to step up and not only meet with this man’s family as if this man was some kind of crime victim, but to publicly call on the Queens District Attorney not to prosecute this man for clearly assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon, I think is completely irresponsible,” Mangur said.
“But it will also reinforce a feeling that already exists within the NYPD: that this administration is an adversary, not a partner. If this dynamic continues and gets further down the line, I do think New York City will see a more reluctant police force when it needs to be proactive.”
As a candidate, Mamdani sought to distance himself from his previous support for police defunding, but he faced a backlash last month. Announce Part of his plan to balance the budget involves cutting the NYPD’s budget and eliminating the hiring of 5,000 new officers.
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani updates reporters on the city’s financial situation during a press conference in front of a painting of Alexander Hamilton on February 17, 2026.
“I think what we’re seeing early in this administration is that Mamdani is not yet willing to position himself as a public partner with the NYPD,” Mangur said. “He’s still trying to make a decision whether he wants to lean into his more natural identity as an opponent of the NYPD.”
Mangur said the NYPD was “between a rock and a hard place” under Mamdani, adding that officers were “unlikely to risk their lives for a city they believed had no support.”
“He would be very happy with a world where he could say, ‘Look, the NYPD is a failure, it’s not reducing crime, it’s time to try something else,'” Mangur said.
Fox Digital News reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.
Original source of the article: Mamdani puts NYPD in ‘dilemma’ that could ultimately help his goals: Experts