New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Thursday that he is prepared to overrule Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch if necessary.
The move drew a clear line around who has the final say over the city’s policing policy as he approaches his 100th day in office.
In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani said Tisch remains in charge of running the New York Police Department day to day, but he made clear that ultimate authority rests with City Hall.
"Yes, ultimately I hold the final decision no matter which department or agency we’re speaking about," Mamdani said.
The mayor’s remarks came as questions continue about the future of the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group, a heavily scrutinized unit that handles protests and other large-scale events and has long been accused by civil liberties advocates of using overly aggressive tactics.
Mamdani reiterated a campaign promise that has become a closely watched test of his policing agenda.
"I remain steadfast in my commitment to disband the SRG, to do so in a manner that upholds both First Amendment rights of New Yorkers and keeps New Yorkers safe. And that is the subject of an active conversation that we’re having," he said.
Pressed on whether he would step in if Tisch resisted, Mamdani left no ambiguity.
"Our police commissioner runs the NYPD; our police commissioner reports to me. And as the mayor, ultimately I am responsible for what happens in our city within each and every city agency and department," he said.
The statement amounts to one of Mamdani’s clearest assertions yet that he intends to exercise direct oversight over the police department.
Previous New York mayors have often allowed commissioners to steer with broad operational independence.
Mamdani and Tisch have at times differed on policing and public safety, including over the future of the city’s gang database, which critics say lacks transparency and disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic New Yorkers.
Even so, the two have largely presented a united public face in recent weeks.
Last week, Mamdani stood beside Tisch at One Police Plaza as city officials announced New York recorded 54 murders in the first quarter of 2026 — the lowest total for the first three months of any year on record — while shooting incidents tied a record low at 139.
Tisch, who was retained by Mamdani after serving under former Mayor Eric Adams, has used the early months of the new administration to highlight what she describes as a focus on accountability, training, and modernization within the department.
But Mamdani’s comments underscore that as April 10 marks his 100th day in office after taking the oath on Jan. 1, some of the most politically sensitive parts of his policing platform remain unfinished, including disbanding the Strategic Response Group and eliminating the gang database.
By signaling he is willing to break a deadlock with his own commissioner, Mamdani has sharpened expectations that the next phase of his administration will be judged not only on crime numbers but also on whether he follows through on promises to reshape how the nation’s largest police force handles protests, surveillance and public accountability.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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