Mamdani backs Bronx police expansion plan, splits command in two

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Wednesday that the NYPD will split the Bronx into two patrol borough commands and add nearly 200 officers to the borough as part of a broader summer violence reduction strategy.

Standing in Mott Haven alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul, Bronx Borough president Vanessa Gibson and Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, Mamdani – who built much of his early political profile as a critic of the police – said the move was aimed at giving the Bronx the same policing structure already used in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan while preparing for the rise in summer violence the city typically sees.

“Violence does not have to be inevitable,” Mamdani said at the press conference. “New Yorkers do not have to be afraid to go outside, to walk the streets, to enjoy the warmth.”

For the first time in city history, the Bronx will now be divided into Patrol Borough Bronx North and Patrol Borough Bronx South, a restructuring Mamdani said would “bring nearly 200 additional officers to the borough and expand the specialized units available to respond to Bronxites’ needs.”

The mayor referenced falling crime statistics in the borough, noting that major crime in the Bronx fell more than 15 percent in April and 11 percent since last year. Auto thefts, shootings and murders have also declined this year, according to NYPD data.

“This is about providing the Bronx with the same standards that Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan already have,” Mamdani said, “and about bringing a real commitment to lowering crime in this borough.”

Mamdani’s support of increasing the NYPD headcount represents a marked contrast from his endorsement of the Defund the Police movement prior to being elected mayor. In 2020, Mamdani posted on social media calling the NYPD “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety.”

Notably missing from Wednesday’s press conference were representatives from Mamdani’s Office of Community Safety, particularly the new department’s deputy mayor, Renita Francois. The department has yet to be realized in the capacity Mamdani hoped for, but it recently received $40 million in funding for Fiscal Years 2027 and 2028. 

Summer violence reduction plan

The announcement comes as the NYPD rolls out its 2026 Summer Violence Reduction Plan, which will deploy more than 2,600 on-foot patrol officers to 72 violence reduction zones citywide during evening and overnight hours, when violence historically spikes.

Tisch described the Bronx restructuring as “long overdue,” saying the borough has continued operating under a single patrol command despite generating nearly one million 911 calls last year — the highest volume in the city.

“Bronx residents have raised this issue with the NYPD for years,” Tisch said. “They’re asking a fair question: Why should a borough carrying this level of demand continue operating under a structure that would not be acceptable elsewhere in New York City?”

Under the new structure, each patrol borough will have its own homicide squads, narcotics teams, auto crime units, evidence collection teams and neighborhood safety teams. Assistant Chief Benjamin Gurley will oversee Bronx North, while assistant chief Brian Hennessy will lead Bronx South.

Tisch said the additional officers would not leave other commands short-staffed, citing the department’s hiring of more than 4,000 recruits last year which she said was the largest NYPD hiring class on record.

Historic reduction in crime, Tisch says

Crime reductions in the borough have been “nothing short of remarkable,” Tisch said, noting that the Bronx recorded only four murders in April, the fewest for the month in recorded history. Shooting incidents fell 58 percent in April compared to the same month last year, while shooting victims declined 65 percent. Since last May, murders are down more than 15 percent and shootings are down roughly 9 percent, according to the department.

The announcement, however, came a week after a 5-year old girl was grazed by a bullet in Longwood, after she and her mother were caught in between exchanging gunfire between teenagers. The NYPD later announced the girl was taken to the hospital and in stable condition and that they had arrested the shooter, a 15-year old boy, who was charged with attempted murder.

Bronx Borough president Vanessa Gibson referenced the shooting in her speech at Wednesday’s press conference. 

“The violence that we have seen in this borough is unacceptable and we will never accept it as normal," she said.