Source: Fox News
“Former New York City Police Department (NYPD) Chief John Chell blasted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for walking back the planned hiring of 5,000 more police officers amid a city budget shortfall of billions of dollars, calling it a ‘recipe for disaster.’ Mamdani’s predecessor, Mayor Eric Adams, proposed at the end of his term that the city hire 5,000 more NYPD officers. Upon entering office, Mamdani moved to cancel all orders signed by Adams after his Sept. 26, 2024, indictment, including the proposed NYPD personnel increase. Under Adams'[s] plan, the NYPD would gradually hire more officers over the coming years, ultimately allowing the NYPD to deploy around 40,000 officers to the streets, while Mamdani’s plan caps the number closer to its current level of around 35,000.” (02/19/26)