Mayor Mamdani orders NYPD use-of-force review amid low shooting numbers

Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a citywide audit of NYPD use-of-force policies after the department logged fewer than 6,000 force incidents and only 23 firearm discharges between January and June 2026, despite responding to over 3.35 million 911 calls and making more than 141,000 arrests. The mayor emphasized the need for lawful, careful, and necessary use of force and paired the review with five new accountability measures, including additional resources for the inspector general and restrictions on rehiring officers with pending disciplinary cases.

Historical data show NYPD firearm discharges have remained steady at roughly 50 per year since 2017, unchanged by reforms enacted after the 2020 George Floyd protests, such as bans on chokeholds and expanded reporting requirements. Officer injuries in force incidents (about 2,500) nearly matched injuries to subjects (around 2,600). The author argues that the department’s use of deadly force is already minimal and that further reforms are unlikely to produce significant changes.