Zohran Mamdani, a prominent contender in the New York City mayoral race, has aligned himself with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) platform, which advocates for a significant overhaul of traditional law enforcement practices.
The platform, which Mamdani supports, calls for the cessation of misdemeanor crime enforcement and a broader dismantling of conventional policing structures.
The DSA's national platform, established in 2021, characterizes prisons and police as "instruments of class war," asserting that their primary function is to "guarantee the domination of the working class." This document, as reported by the New York Post, urges an end to "the criminalization of working-class survival."
It further elaborates that achieving "collective liberation" for the working class necessitates the "constrain, diminish, and abolish the carceral forces of the state."
Mamdani, who serves as a New York State assemblyman representing Queens, has been vocal in his campaign about redirecting police efforts towards "serious" crimes. He has expressed skepticism about the efficacy of prisons and continues to advocate for reducing penalties for what he terms "non-violent offenses." Recently, he reiterated his call for the legalization of prostitution.
The DSA's platform also includes proposals to eliminate cash bail, abolish electronic monitoring, end pre-trial detention, and cease imprisonment for parole violations. Mamdani has previously supported initiatives to "defund the police," although he has since moderated his stance slightly. Following a tragic incident on Park Avenue, he stated his intention to maintain the New York Police Department (NYPD) at its current size but plans to shift officers away from enforcing minor infractions.
Rafael Mangual, a legal policy expert at the Manhattan Institute, expressed skepticism about Mamdani's purported moderation. "I dont buy for a second that he is moderated on any of these policing questions because he has yet to really articulate in any deep way why hes moderated or how hes moderated," Mangual remarked.
"All he has really said is that he no longer wants to defund the police, even though police and prison and jail abolition are core tenets of the DSA party platform."
Mamdani has also questioned the state's definitions of crime. During a 2021 protest outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office, he stated, "What violent crime is is defined by the state. Violence is an artificial construction."
In New York, misdemeanors encompass offenses such as shoplifting up to $1,000, drug possession, simple assault, and driving while intoxicated. Critics argue that such policies could lead to lawlessness.
Greenwich Village resident Susan Ginsburg voiced her concerns, stating, "Theyre driving the city into a hole thats never going to recover. People will break the law with impunity. There has to be deterrent for breaking the law."
Maria Danzilo, an Upper West Side resident and founder of One City Rising, echoed these sentiments, remarking, "Its astonishing that were even having this conversation." The debate over law enforcement and crime definitions continues to be a contentious issue in the city's political landscape.
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