Mamdani names commissioner for Office of Community Safety

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has named a commissioner to lead his newly created Office of Community Safety, he announced Tuesday.

Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey, who holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, has spent nearly two decades working in both public health and criminal justice, the mayor’s office said.

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani has named a commissioner to lead his newly created Office of Community Safety, he announced Tuesday

Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey, who holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, has spent nearly two decades working in both public health and criminal justice, the mayor’s office said

She currently serves as senior advisor and director of community-based services for the Office of Behavioral Health at New York City Health + Hospitals

She currently serves as senior advisor and director of community-based services for the Office of Behavioral Health at New York City Health + Hospitals.

“I’m confident Dr. Delany-Brumsey will lead the Office of Community Safety with both deep expertise in public health-based practices and deep commitment to community-led solutions,” Mamdani said in a statement.

“With the Office of Community Safety, we are developing a coordinated, citywide strategy that ensures every situation gets the right response — not a one-size-fits-all approach,” he added. 

Delany-Brumsey will report to Renita Francois, the deputy mayor for community safety, according to the mayor’s office. 

Mamdani established the Office of Community Safety in March, with the goal of addressing the “root causes” of crime and working with the NYPD to respond to calls that involve mental health episodes.

The office will also manage crisis response programs, including B-HEARD, which Delany-Brumsey has experience with in her current role at NYC Health + Hospitals, City Hall said. 

She previously served as director of behavioral health research and programming at the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, where she oversaw the citywide Crisis Prevention and Response Task Force.

“I am honored and thrilled to lead the Office of Community Safety at a moment when the Mamdani administration is taking on the vital work of building a whole-of-government approach to public safety,” Delany-Brumsey said in a statement.