Mamdani’s NYPD Budget Cut: Same Old ‘Progressive’ Trick, Now With Fewer Cops

New York City’s got that signature perfume: burnt coffee, hot brake pads, and the faint scent of “somebody in City Hall just discovered spreadsheets.” And right on cue, Mayor Zohran Mamdani is treating public safety like it’s a Jenga tower at a vegan barbecue.

What’s on the table

Fox News reported on February 18, 2026 that Mamdani is proposing a plan that trims the NYPD budget next year and cancels the previous administration’s plan to hire 5,000 additional officers. Budgets don’t do poetry. They do priorities.

The 5,000-officer plan got scrapped

Mayor Eric Adams had proposed hiring 5,000 more NYPD officers at the end of his term. Under that plan, the NYPD was set to add 300 officers in July 2026, then 2,500 in July 2027, and eventually reach 5,000 additional officers annually by July 2028, aiming for roughly 40,000 officers.

Mamdani’s approach caps the force closer to about 35,000, near current levels.

Fox also reported that Mamdani moved to cancel all orders signed by Adams following Adams’ Sept. 26, 2024 indictment, and that sweep included the proposed personnel increase. That is not “tidying up.” That is backing an F-150 over the filing cabinet and calling it reform.

The bigger budget math, and the property tax thundercloud

The Mayor’s Office press release dated February 17, 2026 describes a $127 billion Fiscal Year 2027 Preliminary Budget. The city says projected gaps across FY 2026 and FY 2027 were roughly $12 billion, then says it lowered the deficit to a remaining two-year gap of $5.4 billion after savings, revenue adjustments, and state support.

• Savings initiatives projected at $1.77 billion across the two fiscal years
• An upward revision of $7.3 billion in tax revenue
• State support including $1.5 billion from Gov. Kathy Hochul and $97 million in Foundation Aid

If the city cannot get new revenue authority, it says it will lean on property taxes and reserves. The preliminary budget assumes a 9.5% property tax rate increase, which the city says would generate $3.7 billion in FY 2027. Gothamist reported the framework also includes drawing nearly $1 billion from reserves plus $229 million from a retiree health benefits fund.

How big is the NYPD cut?

Gothamist reported a $22 million decrease to the NYPD’s $6.4 billion budget next year. Fox also highlighted language about “significantly reducing current vacancies,” with cuts potentially coming through unfilled positions. That is how governments do it: quietly, with empty chairs and a straight face.

The “replacement” plan is not funded yet

Gothamist also reported the preliminary budget did not include funding for Mamdani’s proposed Department of Community Safety, which he has described as a mental health response alternative for some 911 calls. Mamdani said it would show up later in an executive budget due in late April. As of the preliminary numbers, it is not funded.

The squeeze play

Mamdani is betting Albany will approve raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations, including higher personal income taxes on New Yorkers earning more than $1 million annually. If Albany doesn’t play ball, the property tax hammer is sitting right there.

You cannot patrol a subway platform with a promise. You cannot replace staffing with a slogan. Keep your budgets honest, keep your streets functional, and stop pretending fewer cops is some kind of moral cleanse. Live free, grill hard, and do not apologize.