Domestic violence survivors and victims’ advocates are pushing back against New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani following the resurfacing of past remarks in which the far-left politician criticized police involvement in domestic violence cases, as reported by Fox News.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, during a July 2020 appearance on the Immigrantly podcast, Mamdani said:
“Police do not create safety… there are so many responsibilities we’ve given to police that, frankly, should have nothing to do with their departments… if somebody is jaywalking, if somebody is surviving, going through domestic violence—there are so many different, different situations that would be far better handled by people trained to deal with those specific situations, as opposed to an individual with a gun.”
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Mamdani made those comments in the wake of widespread anti-police demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd.
His remarks are drawing renewed attention as his mayoral campaign continues, with critics warning that downplaying the role of police in domestic abuse situations could have deadly consequences.
Michelle Esquenazi, the founder of the Victims Rights Reform Council, spoke to Fox News Digital about the risks associated with removing law enforcement from such responses.
“There’s a lot of humans who are victims in the city of New York, and they need protection because sometimes it’s a matter of life and death. They’re hiding in the bathroom with their children, and they need someone to come immediately,” Esquenazi said.
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Esquenazi recalled her own experience from 1993, when she was pregnant and attacked by her ex-husband in their Queens home.
“I called 911, and they came running. They made sure that me and my children, and I was pregnant at the time, were safe… They separated him from the situation immediately and essentially saved our lives,” she said.
Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020 and has a documented history of anti-police rhetoric.
That year, he called the NYPD “wicked and corrupt” and pushed to defund the department. His current campaign website calls for creating a “Department of Community Safety” to assume responsibilities currently held by law enforcement.
At a recent mayoral debate, Mamdani appeared to soften his tone, stating he would “work with the police” while incorporating mental health counselors and social workers to handle homelessness and mental illness.
But for some victims, his earlier statements are disqualifying.
Jennifer Harrison, a domestic violence survivor and executive director of the Victims Rights Reform Council, described a 2017 incident involving her mentally ill boyfriend, who smashed electronics and threatened suicide while refusing to let her and her son leave their home.
Police brought the man to the hospital, but he was released shortly after. A police officer then warned her that he was returning, giving her time to escape.
“That cop probably saved my life… I don’t think we should be playing Russian roulette with the lives of domestic violence victims,” Harrison told Fox News Digital.
She added, “It would definitely make women less safe… we’ve already tried their experiments, and they’re failing epically. These are all smokescreens and pipe dreams.”
Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa also condemned Mamdani’s stance.
“Women will die, and children will die. He has no idea what goes on, he’s either hopelessly naive, or he hates the police so much he doesn’t care.”
Sonia Ossorio, Executive Director of the National Organization for Women NYC, expressed concern that shifting away from police-led responses could jeopardize safety for both victims and unarmed responders.
“The number one cause of death and major injury for women in this country is done at the hands of their intimate partner,” she said. “So fast response by law enforcement that is trained and has the resources to intervene in major situations is critical.”
A 2021 study in the World Journal of Psychiatry found domestic violence to be the “leading cause of homicide death for women,” and noted that approximately 30% of women experience intimate partner violence.
Mamdani, along with fellow NYC mayoral candidates Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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