Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is ordering a comprehensive review of the New York Police Department’s use-of-force policies, which is the first of its kind in about a decade. I mean, it’s about time, right? The review is expected to be completed in the coming months and will engage community groups during the process, because, you know, community input is always a great idea. I’m sure it’ll be a real party, with everyone agreeing on everything and holding hands, singing Kumbaya.
The review comes as Mamdani faces increasing pressure from his base, who say he hasn’t done enough to reform public safety and the criminal justice system. Well, bless their hearts, they want change, and they want it now. The proposed reforms include a change that would make it easier to complete the disciplinary process before an officer retires from the force. You can’t make this stuff up, folks. It’s like they’re trying to close the barn door after the horse has already bolted.
The change is in response to the case of Win Rozario, a 19-year-old Queens man who was shot five times and killed while experiencing a mental health crisis in his home in March 2024. The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation declined to pursue criminal charges against the officers, but the Civilian Complaint Review Board voted to substantiate claims that officers used excessive force. Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and now we’ve got a full-blown review on our hands.
Mamdani also announced several reforms aimed at increasing accountability when police officers are accused of misconduct. The proposed reforms include a change which would make it easier to complete the disciplinary process before an officer retires from the force. Because, you know, it’s super easy to just retire and avoid any consequences. The case against one of the officers, Salvatore Alongi, was dropped because he retired, and the case against the other officer, Matthew Cianfrocco, is expected to proceed as planned.
In response to Alongi’s case, Mamdani ordered changes to the disciplinary process to help resolve cases before officers retire and to formalize referrals for decertification when officers retire with pending charges. You’ve got to wonder, what took them so long? Mamdani said in a statement, “When the government uses force against a New Yorker, the standard for accountability must be at its highest. Every New Yorker deserves to know that force will be used lawfully, carefully and only when necessary.” Sounds good to me, but we’ll see how it all plays out.
Some supporters of Mamdani, including the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, have called on him to fire NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch following the shooting of a Dominican immigrant by federal officers in the Bronx on Thursday. Although the NYPD was not involved in the operation, violent skirmishes with protestors broke out in the aftermath, which drew sharp criticism of the NYPD. It’s like they’re trying to stir up more trouble.
Patrick Hendry, president of the New York City Patrolmen’s Association, issued a statement Monday in opposition to the use-of-force review. He said, “There should be no review of the NYPD’s use-of-force policies without a corresponding review of the blatantly biased and unjust way those policies are interpreted by the Civilian Complaint Review Board.” Oh boy, here we go again. It’s like they’re saying, “Hey, we’re not the problem, it’s those other guys.”
On Monday, Mamdani also announced an increase in funding for the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD, which will help increase staffing. And he ordered changes to ensure timely reporting of police-involved deaths to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. He also plans to standardize the release of information and final reports to families of those killed or seriously injured, following a critical incident. It’s all about transparency, folks, or so they say.
In conclusion, it’s been a wild ride in New York City, folks. The use-of-force review is underway, and we’ll see what comes out of it. Maybe they’ll actually make some changes, or maybe it’ll just be a whole lot of noise. Either way, I’ll be here, sipping my coffee and watching the drama unfold. And who knows, maybe they’ll even get it right this time. But I’m not holding my breath. After all, as the saying goes, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” and the NYPD is one old dog that’s been around the block a few times. 🙄
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
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