Friday, Jan. 9, marks the ninth day of Zohran Mamdani’s time period as mayor. New York News is following Mamdani round his first 100 days in workplace as we carefully monitor his progress on fulfilling marketing campaign guarantees, appointing key leaders to authorities posts, and managing the town’s funds. Right here’s a abstract of what the mayor did in the present day.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani confronted his first main public security challenges Friday morning, as two lethal police-involved shootings and a protest in Queens opposing West Financial institution land gross sales the evening prior examined his administration’s response.
Mayor Mamdani posted a press release on the shootings and commented at an unrelated press convention Friday morning, describing them as “devastating to all New Yorkers” and pledging to work with Police Commissioner Tisch to make sure investigations are “thorough and swift.” In a submit to his newly launched BlueSky account, he pledged help for the police and requested a evaluation of the town’s psychological well being response.
Public security: Addressing an evening of police shootings
The police concerned shootings occurred inside hours of one another. In Manhattan’s West Village, NYPD officers shot and killed a 37-year-old man who reportedly pointed what seemed to be a firearm at them following a traffic-related incident. Police later confirmed the thing was a realistic-looking air pistol.
Earlier, officers fatally shot a person inside NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital after he allegedly barricaded himself with a pointy object, threatening workers and sufferers. Each incidents are being investigated by the NYPD Drive Investigation Division.
“Last night, officers were placed in incredibly difficult and dangerous circumstances,” Mamdani mentioned. “The actions they took, they responded swiftly. And I will always emphasize, when someone has been killed, the need for a thorough investigation, as is our current process. And we are going to work to ensure the safety of both officers and New Yorkers at large.”
The NYPD Counterterrorism unit responds to a capturing at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Jan. 8Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
Through the press convention, reporters requested Mamdani a number of questions in regards to the incidents and the delayed response. He mentioned he was briefed late Thursday evening, however delayed public feedback to make sure that the knowledge shared with New Yorkers was correct and intentional.
When requested whether or not these incidents would have an effect on his plans to create a devoted psychological well being response unit below his proposed Division of Neighborhood Security, Mamdani reaffirmed his help for the initiative.
“We continue to need an answer to the more than 200,000 mental health calls that the NYPD responds to and receives on an annual basis, and I do continue to believe in the importance of having a mental health unit dedicated specifically to the mental health crisis, and I also recognize the difficulty that last night’s situation presented for those officers in their act to swiftly to respond to it, ” he mentioned.
Requested whether or not a separate psychological well being or group security staff would have modified the result, Mamdani declined to interact in hypotheticals, saying these questions are a part of ongoing discussions.
In a separate assertion on Friday, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch praised officers’ actions, calling them “nothing short of heroic.” She emphasised the approaching hazard confronted by hospital workers and civilians confronted by the West Village man. “Officers acted to save their own lives and the lives of civilians, as they should,” Tisch mentioned, including that each incidents will bear “an exhaustive investigation and review.”
Public security: Condemnation of pro-Hamas protest in Queens
The Jan. 8 protest occurred close to a synagogue and Jewish faculty in Queens in opposition to land gross sales within the West Financial institution. Police carried out a barricaded crowd-control plan, preserving demonstrators separated from attendees — a departure from the controversial November demonstration outdoors Park East Synagogue that prompted criticism of NYPD policing.
Through the demonstration, the pro-Palestine group chanted, “Say it loud, say it clear: We support Hamas here,” seemingly sympathizing with the terrorist group liable for the heinous assault in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed greater than 1,200 folks, and captured lots of of others — holding quite a lot of them, residing or useless, hostage for as much as two years.
New York Legal professional Basic Letitia James referred to as Hamas “a terrorist organization” and condemned the disgusting show in Queens Thursday, saying, “We do not support terrorists. Period.”
Former Comptroller Brad Lander described the chants as “vile antisemitism” and added that “you can oppose land sales in the West Bank without supporting terrorism & the mass murder of Jews.” Assemblymember Alex Bores mentioned, “Expressing help for Hamas explicitly is rank antisemitism. What they’re saying loud and clear right here is horrifying
Senator Chuck Schumer referred to as the chants “antisemitic and unacceptable” and mentioned this hate “must have no place in NYC, in the U.S. or around the world.” Metropolis Council Speaker Julie Menin mentioned that “openly and proudly sympathizing with Hamas…stokes fear and division,” including that she would proceed to struggle towards “vile antisemitism.” Governor Kathy Hochul mentioned the rhetoric was “disgusting, it’s dangerous, and has no place in New York.”
Affordability: Theater on the home
Mayor Zohran Mamdani palms out tickets for Beneath The Radar to residents of Flatbush.Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
In the meantime, Mamdani joined the Beneath the Radar theater competition at Brooklyn School previous to the press convention to assist hand out 1,500 free tickets to reveals throughout the town.
The tickets cowl reveals at greater than 25 venues throughout the town, together with La MaMa, Lincoln Middle, PSNY, and New York Theater Workshop, and have over 30 productions from native and worldwide artists.
The mayor mentioned the aim is to make the humanities extra accessible to individuals who may not in any other case attend the theater. “Arts have to be something that are infused into the lives of everyday New Yorkers,” he mentioned, noting that many dwell just some blocks from performances with out ever listening to about them. The free tickets, he mentioned, give residents an opportunity to see theater, mirror on the world, and “fall in love with their city all over again.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani palms out tickets for Beneath The Radar to residents of Flatbush.Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
Mamdani framed the giveaway as a part of his broader effort to make arts and tradition accessible to all New Yorkers, not simply vacationers or the town’s wealthiest residents.
“Arts have to be something that are infused into the lives of everyday New Yorkers,” he mentioned, noting that many individuals dwell just some blocks from these performances with out ever listening to about them. The initiative, he mentioned, offers residents an opportunity to interact with theater, mirror on the world, and “fall in love with their city all over again,” no matter revenue.
