Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams launched a \u201cpre-emptive strike\u201d against Zohran Mamdani Friday as he unveiled plans to boost the NYPD\u2019s staffing to its highest level in 20 years \u2013 putting pressure on the anti-cop socialist in the mayoral race\u2019s last days.<\/p>\n
Adams seemed to be pushing the front-runner for City Hall into a corner with his splashy budget proposal \u2013 first reported by The Post \u2013 that would swell the police department to 40,000 uniformed officers by 2029.<\/p>\n
But Mamdani wouldn\u2019t budge, doubling down on his intention to keep the NYPD\u2019s headcount at its current depleted level of 34,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not a question of headcount. It\u2019s a question of safety,\u201d he insisted when asked about Adams\u2019 plan, which would need the approval of future administrations.<\/p>\n
\u201cEric Adams cannot actually hire enough officers that he actually has the money to do so,\u201d he said during a campaign event practicing tai chi with seniors on the Lower East Side.<\/p>\n
A major investment in the NYPD that will increase the number of uniformed officers by 5,000, Mayor Eric Adams will announce. Matthew McDermott<\/p>\n
Hizzoner\u2019s announcement came just days ahead of the closely watched Nov. 4 election in which Mamdani, the socialist Democratic nominee, is widely expected to defeat the ex-governor, running as an independent, and GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa.<\/p>\n
The NYPD\u2019s future has been a major issue in the contest, with Cuomo and Sliwa both arguing that Mamdani\u2019s policies would handcuff the nation\u2019s largest police force, rolling back its recent successes in bringing down crime.<\/p>\n
Adams wants to increase the number of NYPD officers to 40,000. Tam Nguyen \/ NYPost Design<\/p>\n
The Queens assemblyman ran on a \u201cdefund the police\u201d platform in 2020, calling for cuts to the NYPD and firing off posts on social media using the hashtag.<\/p>\n
All three candidates agree, however, that the NYPD is having a crisis in recruiting and retaining cops.<\/p>\n
The NYPD\u2019s ranks have been stuck below 34,000 cops for the entirety of Adams\u2019 first and only term, despite the department being budgeted for 35,000 officers.<\/p>\n
Adams\u2019 lame duck proposal, cribbing Cuomo\u2019s own campaign promise to add 5,000 more officers<\/a>, would essentially throw more money into the NYPD in hopes the recruits will follow.\u00a0<\/p>\n He called to funnel $17.8 million into the department in the upcoming fiscal year, before increasing the investment to $315.8 million by 2029.<\/p>\n The funding would support the phased-in hiring of 5,000 more officers by July 2028, City Hall officials said.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, New York City will be on a path to reach 40,000 police officers in the next three years \u2014 the highest number of police officers in 20 years,\u201d Adams said in a statement.<\/p>\n The NYPD hasn\u2019t had that high a headcount since 2000.<\/p>\n \u201cEric Adams invested in his legacy as a law-and-order mayor and launched a pre-emptive strike against a Mayor Mamdani defunding the police,\u201d said Ken Frydman, a Democratic political operative and longtime police union advisor.<\/p>\n But the plan still would require approval next summer by a progressive Democrat-led City Council that\u2019s unlikely to give Adams a parting gift, or antagonize likely incoming mayor Mamdani.<\/p>\n \u201cYou think the City Council will support more police?\u201d said former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, who has advised NYPD Commissioner\u00a0Jessica Tisch<\/a> not to accept staying on under a Mamdani mayoralty.<\/p>\n Adams\u2019 proposal would essentially pour more money into the NYPD in hopes that the recruits will follow.\u00a0 Andrew Schwartz \/ SplashNews.com<\/p>\n Mamdani, who has\u00a0backed off his past \u201cdefund the police\u201d stance<\/a> as he runs for mayor, has insisted he will not cut the NYPD\u2019s budget, if elected. He wants to spend $1.1 billion<\/a>\u00a0on a new Department of Community Safety focused on taking mental health calls instead of cops \u2014 which law enforcement experts have panned as a pie-in-the-sky idea. <\/p>\n He also pledged to ask well-respected Tisch to stay on as his cop boss<\/a>, despite their\u00a0differing public safety stances<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Tisch, who has not publicly accepted the job offer, praised Adams\u2019 plan to add more cops.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery new officer means safer streets, stronger communities, and a thriving city,\u201d she said. \u201cThis commitment allows us to keep recruiting, training, and deploying the next generation of women and men to build on our success. Thank you, Mayor Adams, for keeping public safety at the forefront of his administration\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n Mamdani has tried to back off his prior calls to defund the police. zohrankmamdani\/Instagram<\/p>\n Mamdani, when asked about Tisch\u2019s statement, stammered in his response: \u201cI continue to have made my decision to retain police commissioner Tisch.\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed out Adams has been unable to hit the budgeted goal of 35,000 officers, so it\u2019s unlikely 40,000 is in the cards.<\/p>\n Mamdani insisted he was going to deliver on keeping New Yorkers safe \u201cin retaining Commissioner Tisch, in creating a Department of Community Safety, and finally, ensuring that we live up to the words that Eric Adams has himself said four years ago: that New Yorkers need not choose between safety and justice.\u201d<\/p>\n But experts said more cops on the streets does result in a boost in public safety, or at least, in the perception of it. <\/p>\n Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani visited a Lower East Side community center where he spoke, danced with seniors, and joined them in a tai chi session on Friday, October 31, 2025 James Keivom<\/p>\n \u201cMore cops is going to help with the perception of public safety. Not everything can be solved with more cops but it\u2019s about perception. The public likes to see cops out on the street,\u201d said John Jay Criminal Justice Professor Maria Haberfeld.<\/p>\n \u201cMajor will crimes will continue to happen, but more cops will help with quality of life because you will have time to address homelessness and other minor violations, quality of life issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, she noted the quality of the recruits is as important as quantity: \u201cIt\u2019s not just numbers, you need to get good ones.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n