In a recent appearance on Fox Business, Paul Mauro, a former New York Police Department inspector, expressed optimism about the potential for New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to effectively address violent crime.
Mauro suggested that Mamdani might possess a unique advantage over the outgoing Mayor Eric Adams in navigating the political landscape of the city council, which has historically been a significant obstacle to Adams' enforcement initiatives.
According to the Daily Caller, the New York City Council has consistently thwarted Adams' efforts, particularly in the realm of immigration enforcement. This includes legal action to prevent his plan to allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations on Rikers Island. During his conversation on "The Evening Edit,"
Mauro highlighted the entrenched resistance from the council, noting that only someone who shares its political ideology might succeed in implementing enforcement measures. "Its going to take a Mamdani to do it. And heres why. As Tom Homan alluded to, it was the city council that got in the way with Eric Adams," Mauro stated. He further explained that Mamdani's alignment with the council's Democratic socialist leanings could be pivotal in overcoming these hurdles.
The council's opposition to Adams has been evident in several instances, such as overriding his veto on a bill banning solitary confinement and enacting new police reporting requirements in early 2024. Additionally, council members have sought to limit aspects of Adams' mental-health response plan and reduce NYPD discretion. Mauro believes that Mamdani's political alignment could provide him with an advantage that Adams lacked. "It may take Mamdani to get through that," Mauro remarked, while also pointing out a potential misstep by the mayor-elect regarding the National Guard's presence in the city.
Mauro clarified that the National Guard has been quietly assisting New York's transit system for decades, a fact that Mamdani seemed to overlook. "The National Guard is already in New York. We have Governor Hochul put 1,000 of them into the New York City subways already," Mauro noted. He emphasized the longstanding and effective role of the National Guard in maintaining safety in the city's transportation hubs, crediting them with a significant reduction in crime. "She credits them with a 42% drop in crime. And theyve been in the New York transportation hubs since 9-11. Its 25 years without incident," Mauro added.
Amid rising crime rates in New York City, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul took decisive action in March 2024 by deploying 750 National Guard members and 250 state troopers to enhance security in the subway system. Her decision was later lauded for contributing to a decrease in crime, as the National Guard worked alongside the NYPD and Metropolitan Transit Authority Police.
Mauro's insights underscore the importance of political alignment and strategic partnerships in addressing the city's complex challenges.
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