NYPD Commissioner Tisch Defends Gang Database as Mamdani Vows to Abolish It

September 4, 2025

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch defended the NYPD’s gang database on Wednesday, calling it an essential tool for fighting gang-related crime in the Bronx, as reported by The New York Post.

Her comments came as Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has renewed his push to eliminate the program altogether.

New York State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani speaks in a Malikah’s Iftar Ramadan event at the Museum of the Moving Image on March 07, 2025 in the Queens Borough of New York City.

“Much of the violence of what we’ve seen over the last few weeks in the Bronx is gang-related — we know who the gang members are thanks to a Criminal Group database and know where they operate,” Tisch said during an appearance on 1010 Wins.

“We know who the people are and are going after them.”

The database, which has been used by the NYPD to track suspected gang members, remains a focal point of debate in city politics. Supporters argue it allows police to better monitor gang activity and target violent offenders, while critics have pushed for its elimination.

Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist from Queens and the party’s nominee in the mayoral race, first joined council members in 2022 to call for dismantling the database. He has since repeated the pledge throughout his campaign, citing concerns over profiling and civil liberties.

Commissioner Tisch’s remarks came as she appeared alongside Mayor Eric Adams, who recently returned from a trip to Florida.

Jan 17, 2022; New York, New York, USA; New York City Mayor Eric Adams addresses the crowd prior to the game honoring Martin Luther King Jr. between the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

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Tisch downplayed recent shootings in the Bronx, noting that overall crime numbers are improving. “Our shooting incidents in the borough of the Bronx are down 20%,” she said. “The shootings in the borough of the Bronx is trending down.”

Mayor Adams echoed that message, while acknowledging the impact of recent violent incidents.

“We’re clear that some of these high-profile shootings with multiple victims, it just creates a feeling of unsafe and we have been focusing on that,” Adams said.

“But the numbers don’t lie, the city is still the safest big city in the country.”

The dispute over the gang database is likely to remain a key issue as the mayoral campaign moves forward, with the NYPD’s leadership standing firmly behind it and Mamdani promising its end if elected.

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