Mamdani’s New Sheriff Is Exactly What You’d Expect
Instead of a crime fighter, New York may be getting another activist.
Zohran Mamdani has officially appointed retired NYPD Lieutenant Edwin Raymond as New York City’s new sheriff, and if you’ve been paying attention to Mamdani’s political philosophy, this pick should surprise absolutely nobody.
The media is already celebrating Raymond as a courageous reformer, a social justice advocate, and a man committed to accountability. But what I see is something very different. I see another example of progressive politicians putting activists in positions that should be focused on public safety.
And that should concern every New Yorker.
Personnel Is Policy
One thing I’ve learned from watching politics over the years is that personnel is policy.
Politicians can say whatever they want during campaigns. They can talk about public safety, community trust, and making cities safer. But the people they choose to surround themselves with tell you what they really believe.
Mamdani didn’t choose someone known for aggressively fighting crime.
He didn’t choose someone known for supporting proactive policing.
He chose someone who built much of his public reputation criticizing the institution he worked for.
That tells you everything you need to know.
Raymond’s History Matters
Edwin Raymond spent years with the NYPD before becoming one of the department’s most outspoken critics.
He was one of the officers involved in a federal lawsuit alleging discriminatory policing practices. He later became a national figure in police reform circles and even authored a book titled An Inconvenient Cop: My Fight to Change Policing in America.
Now let’s be clear.
Every police department should be held accountable when mistakes are made. Nobody is arguing that law enforcement is perfect. As a former police officer myself, I know firsthand that bad decisions happen and that accountability matters.
But there is a difference between improving policing and constantly undermining it.
And that’s where many Americans have grown tired of the activist approach to public safety.
New Yorkers Want Safe Streets
The average person isn’t sitting around debating academic theories about policing.
They’re worried about whether their kids can walk home safely.
They’re worried about violent crime.
They’re worried about theft, assaults, drug activity, and whether criminals are actually being held accountable.
For years, progressive politicians have told Americans that public safety problems would improve if we focused less on enforcement and more on social justice initiatives.
How has that worked out?
Many of America’s largest cities have experienced rising concerns about crime, public disorder, retail theft, and declining confidence in law enforcement.
People don’t want excuses.
They want results.
The Activist Model Keeps Failing
One of the biggest mistakes happening in cities across America is the belief that public safety and law enforcement are somehow opposing concepts.
They’re not.
You can demand accountability from police while still supporting strong policing.
You can support reform without treating every officer like they’re the enemy.
Unfortunately, too many activists have spent years convincing people that law enforcement itself is the problem.
That mindset has weakened public confidence, hurt officer morale, and made recruitment more difficult across the country.
Now we’re seeing those same activists being placed in leadership positions.
That’s not reform.
That’s politics.
What This Appointment Really Says
Mamdani called Raymond a public servant committed to justice, accountability, and trust.
Those are great words.
The question is whether those words translate into safer communities.
Because at the end of the day, New Yorkers aren’t grading their leaders on speeches.
They’re grading them on outcomes.
Can families feel safe?
Can businesses operate without fear?
Can police officers do their jobs?
Can crime be reduced?
Those are the metrics that matter.
Not press releases.
Not activist credentials.
Not social media applause.
The Real Test Starts Now
Raymond now has an opportunity to prove people wrong.
The title comes with real responsibility.
It’s easy to criticize institutions from the outside.
It’s much harder to lead them.
The reality is that New York City doesn’t need more political slogans. It doesn’t need another lecture about systemic problems. It doesn’t need more activist talking points.
It needs leadership.
It needs accountability for criminals.
And it needs people in positions of authority who understand that public safety is the foundation upon which everything else is built.
Mamdani’s new sheriff may be exactly what progressive activists wanted.
The question is whether he’s what New Yorkers actually need.
If you following what happened in UK, their police has a two-tier system, race-based and religion-based. It is done on purpose, to squeeze the unwanted people out of the country and bring in the wanted ones. The little problem that comes with it: unwanted people pay taxes, wanted people use tax money. But Mamdani doesn't care about long term. His mission is replacement, not well-being of people.
Great article.
The thrust of your argument goes right to the head, and the heart, of the matter.