Media365
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has ordered the New York Police Department (NYPD) to conduct its first comprehensive review of use-of-force policies in a decade and announced an additional $2.6 million in funding for independent police oversight.The move comes after an officer involved in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Win Rozario, who was experiencing a mental health crisis, was allowed to retire before facing an internal disciplinary trial. The New York Post reported that the decision angered Rozario’s family.“When the government uses force against a New Yorker, the standard for accountability must be at its highest. Every New Yorker deserves to know that force will be used lawfully, carefully and only when necessary,” Mamdani said in a statement.Rozario was shot dead in March 2024 after police responded to a 911 call at his home in Ozone Park, Queens.Body camera footage showed officers firing at him after he charged at them with scissors, despite his mother and brother pleading with police not to shoot. Officers had used Tasers against him twice before opening fire.Two officers, Matthew Cianfrocco and Salvatore Alongi, fired their weapons at Rozario, who later died in hospital.New York Attorney General Letitia James decided in December 2025 not to bring criminal charges against the officers, although they remained subject to an internal disciplinary process.One of the officers was allowed to retire last week before the disciplinary trial could take place, prompting fresh concerns over police accountability.“We have an obligation to Win’s family and to every New Yorker who calls for help in a moment of crisis,” Mamdani said.The mayor said the review would examine whether the department’s policies adequately guide officers on the use of force and whether changes are needed.The process will also include community engagement and assess the training officers receive when responding to critical incidents.Mamdani’s administration also announced a $2.6 million increase in funding for the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD, an independent body that examines the department’s policies and operations. The additional funding is expected to triple the office’s current headcount, strengthening its capacity to investigate police practices and improve oversight.Other measures include a new notification system to help ensure disciplinary proceedings are completed before officers retire.The NYPD will also formalise notifications to the state when officers retire while facing disciplinary charges, with the aim of preventing them from joining other law enforcement agencies in New York.The department will also maintain compliance with state reporting requirements for police-involved deaths and formalise the sharing of information with families and the public after critical incidents.Final reports from the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division will be made available to families or their representatives upon request.The administration said the measures are intended to strengthen transparency, ensure serious allegations are addressed and improve public trust when police use of force results in death or serious injury.
