NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced the establishment of an Office of Community Safety, a pared-down version of a campaign promise that will be involved in combating hate crimes in the city, which overwhelmingly target Jews.

Mamdani’s office said in a Thursday statement that the Office of Community Safety will take a “whole-of-government approach to crime prevention and public safety that addresses gun violence prevention, mental health and substance abuse treatment, hate crime prevention, victims services, and subway safety.”

“The Office will focus on addressing the root causes of crime and violence, streamlining and expanding evidence-based crime prevention programs and strengthening wraparound services so no New Yorker is left behind,” it said.

The new body will coordinate the work of the city’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, as well as the Office of Crime Victim Services, Office to Prevent Gun Violence, Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence and Office of Community Mental Health.

During his campaign, Mamdani had vowed to establish the body as a city agency, but the executive order signed Thursday sets up a mayoral office, a less significant measure than a full-fledged agency.

Mayoral offices established by executive order are easier to establish than city agencies, but can be revoked by a future administration.

Mamdani also vowed a $1.1 billion budget for the proposed department during the campaign, but the office’s budget is only $260 million, and that funding is drawn from other programs and will not bring in any new funds, The New York Times reported.

Mamdani’s proposed budget for the city, announced last month, left out allocations for the community safety office.

The city is dealing with a budget deficit in the billions, a major stumbling block for Mamdani, who had promised far-reaching and costly reforms, such as free childcare and buses.

The Office of Community Safety will also only be staffed by two people at first.

At a Thursday press conference, Mamdani said the office’s budget will be increased and that there will be more staff, without providing details.

Mamdani announced that Renita Francois, a veteran of city government and the nonprofit sector, will head the office as the Deputy Mayor for Community Safety. Francois will report directly to Mamdani.

“The cornerstone of a dignified life is true community safety — and that safety is built through relentless investment in the services that keep New Yorkers safe,” Mamdani said in a statement. “Our administration will not wait for change, we will build it.”

“Renita will lead this work with clarity, compassion and an unwavering commitment to New Yorkers too often left behind — from families confronting gun violence to people navigating mental health crises, hate crimes or substance use issues,” the statement said.

The hate crimes office, under the Office of Community Safety, will advise the mayor on preventing the crimes, and will be involved in raising awareness, investigations and prosecution, and addressing the impact on communities, the executive order said.

The office will also review budget requests for city agency programs related to hate crimes; prepare an annual report on the prevalence of hate crimes and mitigating their impact; study the efficacy of neighborhood safety plans; liaise with community groups; inform community members of violent hate crimes; and notify officials when they occur.

The Office of Community Safety will also be involved in issues such as mental health responses and gun violence.

Last year, Jews were targeted in 57% of hate crimes in the city, despite making up around 10% of the population.

The rate of hate crimes is tracked by monthly NYPD data.

It will be difficult to compare the prevalence of hate crimes under Mamdani’s tenure to previous administrations, though, because the NYPD said this month that it will report its monthly tally of hate crimes differently.

Previously, the police had reported hate crimes that were under review, but will now only report incidents that have been investigated and confirmed as bias incidents. The different measurement means comparisons will not be relevant.

The NYPD said the methodology will provide a more “accurate representation” of the incidents, but experts have said that the new system could give the false impression that hate crimes are decreasing.

Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Iran war right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:

Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock under difficult conditions to cover this conflict;

Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and emails; and

Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.

We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.

You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.

Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.

So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Thank you,David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel

1 ArchaeologyMystery widens: Researchers find Israel’s ‘Stonehenge’ in the Golan is not unique

2 Iranian cluster bombs kill Thai worker in Israel, 4 Palestinian women in West Bank

3 Iran hangs three convicted of killing police during January protests, judiciary says

4 As Iran strikes Gulf energy sites, Trump says Israel won’t hit its gas field again — but US will if attacks go on

5 Israel said threatening Iranian officers on the phone as part of efforts to stir unrest

6 Despite war, Israel ranks 8th in global happiness survey, same as last year

7 Hegseth calls IDF strike on gas field a ‘warning,’ as Trump says he told Netanyahu: ‘Don’t do that’

8 US reportedly detects drones over Washington base where Rubio, Hegseth live

© The Times of Israel