New York's incoming Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has stirred controversy with his recent appointment of a university professor known for his critical stance on law enforcement to his community safety committee.
The appointee, Alex Vitale, a sociology professor at Brooklyn College, has a track record of making disparaging remarks about the police, even going as far as labeling them as "violence workers."
This decision by Mamdani has raised eyebrows, especially considering his previous statements advocating for the defunding of the New York Police Department (NYPD), which he has described as a "racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety." This appointment seems to contradict Mamdani's recent efforts to distance himself from these past remarks.
According to the Daily Caller, Vitale has been outspoken in his criticism of law enforcement. In a 2020 interview with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), he referred to individual officers as "class enemies" in the context of the "class struggle." His 2017 book, "The End of Policing," further underscores his stance, arguing that the issue is not with police training, diversity, or methods, but with the institution of policing itself.
Vitale's controversial views extend beyond policing. He is an advocate for the decriminalization of prostitution, referring to it as "sex work," and even produced a 2025 film titled "Sex Work: Its Just a Job."
Despite the controversy surrounding Vitale's appointment, Mamdani has defended his decision, stating that the more than 400 experts appointed to his Transition Committees share a love for hard work, a deep belief in the promise of New York City, and a commitment to the affordability agenda that New Yorkers are demanding.
Mamdani has recently claimed to have shifted his stance on defunding the NYPD, and in an October interview with Fox News, he apologized to officers for his past disparaging comments. He emphasized his commitment to "representing the men and women of the NYPD," acknowledging the risks they take every day in the line of duty.
However, Vitale's views align closely with those of the DSA, of which Mamdani is a member. The group advocates for the end of the criminalization of the working class, investment in community self-governance and care instead of law enforcement, and freedom for all incarcerated individuals.
In December 2024, Mamdani advocated for cuts to the NYPDs Strategic Response Group's funding, the unit that responded to Officer Didarul Islam's killing. This call for cuts comes at a time when NYPD data shows an increase in misdemeanors, "major" felonies, and non-major felonies in New York City every year since 2020.
Neither Mamdani nor Vitale responded to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. This silence leaves many questions unanswered, particularly regarding how Mamdani's administration plans to address the rising crime rates in New York City and the role that Vitale's controversial views on law enforcement will play in shaping the city's community safety policies.
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