New York City is at a crossroads. For years, we’ve endured recycled leadership and outdated approaches to public safety. We face real challenges — rising costs of living, homelessness, mental health crises, and yes, crime — but the way forward is not through fear or nostalgia. It’s through vision, courage, and fresh thinking. That’s why I’m proudly supporting Zohran Mamdani for mayor.
I served 21 years in the New York City Police Department, ultimately becoming the first South Asian and first Muslim lieutenant commander in its history. I’ve seen how the system works — and where it fails.
I also studied public finance and management at Columbia University and served as trustee ex-officio on the board of the City University of New York. I know that effective leadership is not about slogans — it’s about ideas, execution, and integrity.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now running as an independent, loves to talk about his experience. But after decades in power, that experience isn’t a strength — it’s a liability. He failed to protect seniors in nursing homes, failed to keep New York City affordable, and created a hostile work environment for women who worked for him. New York City doesn’t need more of his failed leadership. What we need is bold, visionary leadership — and Zohran Mamdani will deliver exactly that.
Mamdani offers something we haven’t seen in a long time: a vision for public safety rooted in common sense and dignity for all. One of his most transformative proposals is the creation of a Department of Community Safety — a new agency designed to address homelessness, mental health crises, and non-criminal emergencies without defaulting to armed police. This is not about being soft on crime. It’s about being smart about solutions.
Every day, police officers are dispatched to 911 calls unsuited for law enforcement: a person in crisis, someone sleeping on a subway bench, a neighbor struggling with addiction, or a disabled vehicle on the street. These are not criminal matters, yet we send police officers. This stretches the NYPD thin, puts officers in impossible situations, and too often leads to tragic outcomes.
As someone who’s worn the badge, I know the weight of that responsibility. We cannot keep expecting police to be therapists, social workers, and emergency responders all rolled into one. Mamdani understands that. His plan would let officers focus on what they are trained to do — respond to and investigate crimes — while trained professionals handle everything else.
Critics point to Mamdani’s past comments about defunding police during the George Floyd protests. But those protests marked a nationwide reckoning with injustice, and many young leaders spoke from a place of urgency and pain. What matters more is what Mamdani has done since: he listened to experts, gathered evidence, and adapted his policy. Since declaring for mayor, he has repeatedly stated that he would maintain the NYPD’s headcount.
Mamdani also proposes restructuring the Strategic Response Group (SRG), a heavily armed NYPD unit that currently responds to both mass casualty events and protests. These are vastly different scenarios that require different training and philosophies. He suggests splitting them: one unit dedicated to mass shootings and active shooter situations, and another designed to handle protests in a way that respects both public safety and civil rights. That’s not dismantling safety — it’s improving it.
Leadership is not about clinging to the old playbook. It’s about recognizing when the playbook needs to change. New York’s massive incarceration system has failed to make us safer. It has cost billions and torn apart communities — especially Black, Latino, and immigrant families. We must invest in prevention: in housing, mental health, education, and jobs. That’s what real safety looks like.
Zohran Mamdani represents a new generation of leadership — clear-eyed, compassionate, and ready to face 21st century challenges with 21st century tools. He listens, learns, adapts, and leads with humility and purpose.
We can’t afford more of the same. We need a mayor who sees public safety not just as an issue of law enforcement, but as an issue of human dignity, community trust, and economic justice.
As a retired NYPD lieutenant commander, and someone who believes deeply in justice and reform, I believe Zohran Mamdani is the right leader for this moment.
New York City deserves a future that is safer, fairer, and smarter. Mamdani has the vision to lead us there.
Haque is a retired NYPD lieutenant commander and co-founder of the Bangladeshi American Police Association (BAPA).
