NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s anti-police stance may help him politically

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent responses to law enforcement — which some interpret as pushing back against the New York Police Department — likely won’t hurt him as much as previous mayors and could ultimately work to his overall political advantage, a local crime expert told Fox News Digital.

“It may not hurt Mamdani as much as it would hurt another mayor,” Manhattan Institute Fellow Rafael Mangual said.

“I think it’s okay for Zohran Mamdani to be an opponent and critic of the NYPD. I think he comes from the kind of ideological perspective that doesn’t believe that the NYPD actually reduces crime. So if the NYPD pulls back and crime increases, I think he’ll see that as an opportunity to further criticize the NYPD and point out why funding should be cut in favor of this Department of Community Safety and other proposals that he would rather invest in.”

According to Mangual, two major events in the city show that the mayor will not defend the police department, which could result in officers standing down due to lack of support. These include an incident in Washington Square Park last month dubbed “Snowballgate,” in which a crowd of about 100 people pelted NYPD officers with snowballs, injuring two officers.

Instead of condemning the attack, Mamdani appeared to downplay the violence and described the perpetrators as “kids” participating in a snowball fight.

“Mamdani did not come out in support of the NYPD in this incident. Instead, she appeared to ignore the incident and even rejected the call to prosecute the perpetrators,” Mangual said. said Mangual, adding that the mob’s actions were clearly described as an attack on police officers.

“Unfortunately, the mayor’s response was deemed inadequate. He seemed unwilling to condemn this as an attack. He seemed unwilling to even say that this was something that should not be done in the future, and I think that will create a perception within the NYPD that this administration doesn’t have any backing.”

Perhaps more concerning, according to Mangual, was Mamdani’s response to a recent police-involved shooting in Queens; Despite body camera footage showing a police officer being attacked with a deadly weapon after entering a home at the owner’s invitation, Mamdani was called The district prosecutor requested that no charges be filed against the knife-wielding suspect, who reportedly had mental health problems.

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Additionally, Mamdani visited the attacker and his family after the incident.

“I think it’s completely irresponsible for Mayor Mamdani to come forward and not only meet with the family of this person as if he were the victim of some kind of crime, but also publicly call on the Queens District Attorney’s Office not to prosecute this person for a clear and unambiguous assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon,” Mangual said.

“But it will also reinforce that sense that I think already exists within the NYPD: that this administration is a competitor, not a partner. And if that dynamic continues and gets further down to the grassroots, I think we’re going to see a more reluctant police force at a time when the city needs it to be proactive.”

As a candidate, Mamdani sought to distance herself from her previous support for defunding the police, but faced backlash when she did so last month. announced This part of the plan to balance the budget involves cutting the NYPD’s budget and canceling the hiring of 5,000 new officers.

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani, in front of a painting of Alexander Hamilton, speaks to reporters about the city’s finances during a news conference on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in New York. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

“I think we saw in the early days of this administration that Mamdani was not yet willing to position himself as an open partner of the NYPD,” Mangual said. “He’s still trying to decide whether to lean into his more natural identity as an opponent of the NYPD.”

Mangual said the NYPD was “between a rock and a hard place” under Mamdani, adding that officers “will be less likely to risk their lives for a city they don’t feel like has their back.”

“He would be perfectly happy with a world where he could say, ‘Look, the NYPD has failed, it’s not reducing crime, it’s time to try other approaches,'” Mangual said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.

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