NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani in 2020: ‘I Am in Favor of Defunding the Police’

UNKNOWN FEMALE Are you ░░░░░░░░ defunding the police Are ░░░░░░░░ for a serious reform ░░░░░░░░ people can see on ░░░░░░░░ ground MAMDANI I am ░░░░░░░░ favor of defunding the ░░░░░░░░ UNKNOWN FEMALE Can you ░░░░░░░░ MAMDANI Yes What that ░░░░░░░░ is that right now ░░░░░░░░ New York City we ░░░░░░░░ a budget of close ░░░░░░░░ 6 billion for the ░░░░░░░░ York City Police Department ░░░░░░░░ FEMALE Mm hmm MAMDANI ░░░░░░░░ that is an astronomical ░░░░░░░░ UNKNOWN FEMALE Wow MAMDANI ░░░░░░░░ I think that what ░░░░░░░░ need to do is ░░░░░░░░ chip away a million ░░░░░░░░ or 5 million I ░░░░░░░░ in this first year ░░░░░░░░ need to take a ░░░░░░░░ dollars out of that ░░░░░░░░ And I think that ░░░░░░░░ need to reinvest that ░░░░░░░░ into social services So ░░░░░░░░ example because of this ░░░░░░░░ the city and the ░░░░░░░░ have been looking to ░░░░░░░░ spending across the board ░░░░░░░░ FEMALE Mm hmm MAMDANI ░░░░░░░░ so they ve cut ░░░░░░░░ like the Summer Youth ░░░░░░░░ Program SYEP which is ░░░░░░░░ largest youth employment program ░░░░░░░░ the United States UNKNOWN ░░░░░░░░ Right MAMDANI They cut ░░░░░░░░ And my question is ░░░░░░░░ creates more safety UNKNOWN ░░░░░░░░ Mm hmm MAMDANI A ░░░░░░░░ having a job for ░░░░░░░░ duration of the summer ░░░░░░░░ provides them with stability ░░░░░░░░ FEMALE Mm hmm MAMDANI ░░░░░░░░ another armed police officer ░░░░░░░░ the neighborhood UNKNOWN FEMALE ░░░░░░░░ hmm MAMDANI And I ░░░░░░░░ what we need to ░░░░░░░░ is ask ourselves is ░░░░░░░░ we re doing right ░░░░░░░░ making us safe UNKNOWN ░░░░░░░░ Mm hmm MAMDANI Or ░░░░░░░░ it just making certain ░░░░░░░░ feel better UNKNOWN FEMALE ░░░░░░░░ hmm MAMDANI And I ░░░░░░░░ that what we need ░░░░░░░░ do is change the ░░░░░░░░ in which we understand ░░░░░░░░ we need police for ░░░░░░░░ if you are George ░░░░░░░░ he was murdered UNKNOWN ░░░░░░░░ Mm hmm MAMDANI For ░░░░░░░░ UNKNOWN FEMALE Mm hmm ░░░░░░░░ For a 20 check ░░░░░░░░ they said was forged ░░░░░░░░ FEMALE Mm hmm MAMDANI ░░░░░░░░ you need a police ░░░░░░░░ with a gun to ░░░░░░░░ and deal UNKNOWN FEMALE ░░░░░░░░ we don t MAMDANI ░░░░░░░░ a forged check UNKNOWN ░░░░░░░░ Absolutely not MAMDANI The ░░░░░░░░ who was killed in ░░░░░░░░ what was his crime ░░░░░░░░ was sleeping in UNKNOWN ░░░░░░░░ Mm hmm MAMDANI his ░░░░░░░░ because he didn t ░░░░░░░░ like he could drive ░░░░░░░░ And the police woke ░░░░░░░░ up He was in ░░░░░░░░ stupor And then they ░░░░░░░░ him while he was ░░░░░░░░ away UNKNOWN FEMALE OK ░░░░░░░░ Do you need the ░░░░░░░░ with an armed gun ░░░░░░░░ deal with someone sleeping ░░░░░░░░ a parking lot in ░░░░░░░░ own car No UNKNOWN ░░░░░░░░ Right MAMDANI And I ░░░░░░░░ again and again we ░░░░░░░░ that when we face ░░░░░░░░ in our community in ░░░░░░░░ York City homeless people ░░░░░░░░ the trains you know ░░░░░░░░ having a mental breakdown ░░░░░░░░ domestic violence issue every ░░░░░░░░ our answer is send ░░░░░░░░ the police UNKNOWN FEMALE ░░░░░░░░ hmm MAMDANI And that ░░░░░░░░ not actually dealing with ░░░░░░░░ harm that is being ░░░░░░░░ Many times those police ░░░░░░░░ actually increasing the harm ░░░░░░░░ so I think we ░░░░░░░░ to take a step ░░░░░░░░ and really change the ░░░░░░░░ we re doing things ░░░░░░░░ FEMALE: “Right.”