New York City’s mayor-elect has chosen a professor who calls police officers “violence workers” to help shape the city’s community safety policies.
Story Snapshot
- Zohran Mamdani appointed a radical anti-police professor to his community safety committee
- The professor has publicly referred to police officers as “violence workers”
- This appointment signals a potential shift toward progressive criminal justice policies
- The selection raises questions about Mamdani’s approach to law enforcement and public safety
A Controversial Choice for Community Safety
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s decision to place an outspoken police critic on his community safety committee sends a clear message about his administration’s priorities. The appointment of this university professor, known for inflammatory rhetoric against law enforcement, represents more than just personnel selection. It reveals the ideological foundation upon which Mamdani plans to build his approach to public safety in America’s largest city.
The Professor’s Anti-Police Track Record
The appointed professor’s characterization of police officers as “violence workers” reflects a broader academic movement that views law enforcement through a fundamentally adversarial lens. This language choice isn’t accidental or casual commentary. It represents a deliberate attempt to reframe the role of police in society, casting them not as protectors of public safety but as instruments of oppression and harm.
Such rhetoric ignores the complex reality of policing in urban environments where officers regularly risk their lives to protect communities. The professor’s academic perspective, while perhaps suitable for theoretical classroom discussions, raises serious concerns when applied to real-world policy decisions that affect millions of New Yorkers’ daily safety and security.
🚨 “Kill the Cop in Our Head”: Mamdani Transition Pick Rejects Reform, Calls Policing “Violence Work,” and Advocates for "Pod Mapping"
Zohran Mamdani just appointed Professor Alex Vitale to his community safety transition team.
Vitale says it plainly, “Policing is about… pic.twitter.com/jvwgh3CUt6
— Stu Smith (@thestustustudio) November 25, 2025
Implications for New York’s Public Safety
This appointment suggests Mamdani’s administration may pursue policies that prioritize ideological purity over practical public safety concerns. When advisors view police fundamentally as “violence workers” rather than essential public servants, the resulting policies typically emphasize defunding, restricting, and marginalizing law enforcement rather than supporting effective crime prevention and community protection.
New York has experienced significant challenges with crime and public safety in recent years. Appointing someone with such extreme anti-police views to influence community safety policy seems counterproductive to addressing these real concerns. Citizens deserve advisors who understand that effective policing, properly conducted, enhances rather than threatens community wellbeing.
A Pattern of Progressive Overreach
This appointment fits within a broader pattern of progressive politicians prioritizing academic theories over street-level realities. While reform and accountability in policing deserve serious consideration, starting from the premise that police are inherently harmful “violence workers” virtually guarantees policies that weaken public safety rather than improve it.
The choice also demonstrates how far removed some political leaders have become from the concerns of ordinary citizens who depend on effective law enforcement. Most New Yorkers want police reform that enhances both safety and accountability, not radical restructuring based on anti-police ideology that treats law enforcement as an inherently illegitimate institution.
