NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Mayor Zohran Mamdani has directed the NYPD to conduct its first comprehensive review of use-of-force policies and practices in a decade and announced a series of reforms aimed at strengthening accountability for officers accused of serious misconduct.
The review, which will take place over the coming months, comes as the administration faces mounting pressure from some supporters to follow through on campaign promises related to policing, including calls to dismantle the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group. The mayor also said he has no plans to remove Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
According to the mayor’s office, the review will include a community engagement process and examine how the department’s use-of-force policies are applied and whether changes are needed. The administration said it is the first such review in 10 years.
The announcement was tied in part to the retirement of an officer who was facing disciplinary charges in the death of 19-year-old Win Rozario, who was shot and killed by NYPD officers during a mental health crisis in March 2024. The officer retired before an internal disciplinary trial could take place.
“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,” Mamdani said in a statement.
In addition to the use-of-force review, the administration announced several changes designed to increase oversight and transparency. The city will increase funding for the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD by $2.6 million, a move the administration said will restore staffing to a historic peak and expand the office’s ability to investigate policies and practices related to police misconduct.
The NYPD has also implemented a new notification system intended to help complete disciplinary proceedings before an officer retires. The department will formalize its practice of notifying the state when officers retire while facing disciplinary charges, a step aimed at preventing those officers from joining another law enforcement agency elsewhere in New York.
Other reforms include maintaining compliance with state reporting requirements for police-involved deaths and formalizing how information is shared with the public and families following critical incidents. The NYPD will also release Force Investigation Division final reports to families or their representatives upon request.
The mayor’s office said the reforms are intended to ensure serious allegations are investigated, disciplinary cases are resolved, and the public has a clearer understanding of how the city responds when police use of force results in death or serious injury.
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