Defeat of Proposed NYPD Headcount Increase is a Victory for New Yorkers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Defeat of Proposed NYPD Headcount Increase is a Victory for New Yorkers

Justice Committee responds to removal of proposed 580 new cops in FY27 budget deal

Today, the New York City Council and Mayor Mamdani reached a handshake agreement on the FY27 city budget. In a major movement victory, championed by a large coalition of grassroots, legal, advocacy and civil rights organizations New Yorkers, the agreement does not include any expansion of the NYPD headcount.

In response, Loyda Colón (they/them), Executive Director of Justice Committee, issued the following statement:

“The defeat of the administration's proposal to invest ~$70 million in 580 additional NYPD officers is clear proof of the power New Yorkers have when we unite in our refusal to accept further expansion of policing and criminalization.

While we wish Mayor Mamdani had simply kept his campaign promise to maintain a flat NYPD headcount in his executive budget proposal, in the final budget, he and the City Council made the right decision to stand with New Yorkers, instead of caving to NYPD political pressure. Now New Yorkers need Mayor Mamdani to maintain that political courage by truly embracing a transformative approach to public safety. This must begin with firing NYPD Lt. Jonathan Rivera, who killed Allan Feliz; scheduling the discipline trial for Office Wayne Isaacs, who killed Delrawn Small; ending Q-Team response to 311 calls, homeless encampment sweeps and arrests for low-level offenses; and ending Commissioner Tisch’s expansion of broken windows policing.”