Oct. 12 (UPI) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday directed the New York Police Department to conduct a review of its use-of-force policies for the first time in a decade, an order linked to the 2024 police killing of a 19-year-old having a mental health crisis.
In addition to the review, which his office said will take place in the “coming months,” Mamdani also introduced a package of reforms meant to ensure officers accused of serious misconduct face the disciplinary process before their retirement.
The officer who shot Win Rozario retired Thursday, before disciplinary measures could take place, CBS News reported.
Officers responded to Rozario’s home in March 2024 in response to a report of a mental health crisis. He lunged at them while holding a pair of scissors, prompting them to use a taser on him before opening fire.
“When the government uses force against a New Yorker, the standard for accountability must be at its highest,” Mamdani said in a statement. “Every New Yorker deserves to know that force will be used lawfully, carefully and only when necessary.
“We have an obligation to Win’s family and to every New Yorker who calls for help in a moment of crisis. This review is about making sure our policies reflect that responsibility, that our officers have the guidance and training they need and that New Yorkers and their families can trust their city will treat them with care and dignity.”
The reforms announced by Mamdani include increasing funding for the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD by $2.6 million; strengthening retirement notifications to ensure completion of disciplinary actions beforehand; preventing retiring NYPD officers who are facing discipline from being hired elsewhere in the state; ensuring compliance with the law requiring the reporting of police-involved deaths; and standardizing and formalizing information sharing after NYPD-involved critical incidents with civilians.
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