NYC Socialist Mayoral Candidate Hires Private Security While Pushing Lefty Police Reform

A socialist frontrunner candidate for New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary has hired private security for himself after advocating to reduce the role of local police.

The campaign of Democratic New York State Rep. Zohran Mamdani, now floating between second and first place in primary polls, paid $8,000 to a New York security firm this June, Gothamist reported on Tuesday. Mamdani has stood out as one of the only candidates who has not called for hiring more police officers as others have walked back their previous anti-cop positions.

Mamdani’s public safety plan includes creating a “Department of Community Safety” — with a $1.1 billion budget — that he says would reduce the burden placed on police by driving mental health care and “violence prevention” efforts. The socialist’s campaign previously said that dispatchers under this system would decide whether to send counselors and medical professionals or police officers to respond to 911 calls.