Mayor Mamdani to sign order creating Office of Community Safety as first step on mental health response pledge | amNewYork

"Mamdani made the creation of a Department of Community Safety a central campaign promise, pitching it as a way to reduce the city's reliance on police in responding to mental health emergencies and other non-criminal crises. Pressure on the administration to move faster intensified after the Jan. 25 police shooting of Jabez Chakraborty, a 22-year-old Queens man whose family had sought help during a mental health crisis."

"Thursday's executive order from Mamdani would create the Office of Community Safety within the Mayor's Office, to be led by a deputy mayor for community safety. It would take effect immediately upon signing. As of noon Thursday, the Mamdani administration has yet to officially announce who will serve as deputy mayor."

"At the start, Mamdani's community safety agency would be an office, not a full-fledged department, within city government. Legislation would be required to create a community safety department; last year, Brooklyn City Council Member Lincoln Restler introduced a bill to establish a Department of Community Safety."

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is signing an executive order establishing an Office of Community Safety within the Mayor's Office, led by deputy mayor Renita Francois. This fulfills a core campaign promise to reduce the city's reliance on police for mental health emergencies and other non-criminal crises. The office takes effect immediately upon signing. Pressure for faster implementation intensified following the January 25 police shooting of Jabez Chakraborty, a 22-year-old experiencing a mental health crisis. The office currently operates within city government, though legislation would be required to establish a full Department of Community Safety, with a bill previously introduced by Brooklyn City Council Member Lincoln Restler remaining under review.

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