Mamdani Seeks to Replace Police Officers with 'Transit Ambassadors' in Homeless Outreach Efforts
In an effort to revamp the city's approach to homeless outreach, Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani has proposed replacing police officers with 'transit ambassadors.' The move comes amid controversy over the NYPD's involvement in homeless outreach programs, including the Partnership Assistance for Transit Homelessness (PATH) initiative.
Under the current PATH program, teams consisting of police officers, outreach workers, and nurses work together to identify individuals with severe mental health needs on subway platforms. If deemed a risk to themselves or others, these individuals are involuntarily taken to hospitals for evaluation, often via NYPD officers' assistance.
However, critics argue that this approach undermines the efforts of outreach workers, citing concerns about trust-building between law enforcement and vulnerable populations. The Coalition for the Homeless has expressed skepticism about the program's effectiveness, stating that the presence of police officers can be off-putting to individuals in need.
Mamdani's campaign argues that removing police from homeless outreach would free them up to respond to violent crimes more effectively. Instead, 'transit ambassadors' trained in crisis intervention and support services would provide assistance with emergencies, directions, accessibility, and other transit information to riders on the platform.
The PATH program has shown promising results since its launch last year, with over 600 mentally ill homeless individuals removed from subway platforms and transported to treatment facilities. However, critics point out that this approach comes at a cost – resources previously dedicated to police presence in these outreach efforts would be redirected elsewhere.
Andrew Cuomo's proposed solution is more heavy-handed, involving mandatory removal of homeless individuals from the subways if they even loiter in stations. Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul has extended an NYPD program to deploy officers on subway patrol during overnight hours to tackle increasing felony assaults.
As Mamdani prepares to take office, one thing remains clear: the city's approach to addressing homelessness and mental health will continue to shape public safety priorities for the next administration.
In an effort to revamp the city's approach to homeless outreach, Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani has proposed replacing police officers with 'transit ambassadors.' The move comes amid controversy over the NYPD's involvement in homeless outreach programs, including the Partnership Assistance for Transit Homelessness (PATH) initiative.
Under the current PATH program, teams consisting of police officers, outreach workers, and nurses work together to identify individuals with severe mental health needs on subway platforms. If deemed a risk to themselves or others, these individuals are involuntarily taken to hospitals for evaluation, often via NYPD officers' assistance.
However, critics argue that this approach undermines the efforts of outreach workers, citing concerns about trust-building between law enforcement and vulnerable populations. The Coalition for the Homeless has expressed skepticism about the program's effectiveness, stating that the presence of police officers can be off-putting to individuals in need.
Mamdani's campaign argues that removing police from homeless outreach would free them up to respond to violent crimes more effectively. Instead, 'transit ambassadors' trained in crisis intervention and support services would provide assistance with emergencies, directions, accessibility, and other transit information to riders on the platform.
The PATH program has shown promising results since its launch last year, with over 600 mentally ill homeless individuals removed from subway platforms and transported to treatment facilities. However, critics point out that this approach comes at a cost – resources previously dedicated to police presence in these outreach efforts would be redirected elsewhere.
Andrew Cuomo's proposed solution is more heavy-handed, involving mandatory removal of homeless individuals from the subways if they even loiter in stations. Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul has extended an NYPD program to deploy officers on subway patrol during overnight hours to tackle increasing felony assaults.
As Mamdani prepares to take office, one thing remains clear: the city's approach to addressing homelessness and mental health will continue to shape public safety priorities for the next administration.
. Mamdani thinks replacing cops with 'transit ambassadors' will make things better, but I think it's just a PR stunt to win over liberal voters. What's next? Replacing police officers with social workers on every corner? Meanwhile, Cuomo's solution of mandatory removals might be seen as heavy-handed, but at least it shows some backbone – you can't just let people take up space on the subway platform and expect everything to magically work out 
. We need a balanced approach that addresses both public safety and social services. And let's not forget, this is just a Band-Aid solution for a much bigger problem. Where are the resources going? How are we going to fund these programs in the long run? It's like throwing money at a problem without having a real plan 
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remember when the city used to have those super cool subway volunteers from the 80s? You know, the ones who just kinda hung out at the stations, giving directions and advice? They were like, super helpful and didn't even wear uniforms 
. Now we're talking about replacing cops with transit ambassadors because of controversy over police involvement in homeless outreach programs. I get it, don't wanna trust the guys in blue, but what's wrong with a little bit of community policing? Back then, those subway volunteers were like the unsung heroes of NYC. They just showed up and helped people without expecting anything in return. Anyway, I hope Mamdani's plan works out, 'cause we need more heart in our public safety efforts 
& what if those "transit ambassadors" dont have the right training or resources to handle emergencies? sound like theyd just be handing out maps and telling ppl where to sit 
also dont want 2 forget tht PATH program showed some promise, but maybe instead of replacing police w/ transit ambassadors we shud focus on supporting outreach workers & giving em more ress & training? 
. Transit ambassadors sound cool and all, but how are they gonna handle emergencies when people are, like, in crisis mode? 
It's not a simple fix, you know?
... How do we know this new approach won't just end up being a Band-Aid solution? And what exactly are these transit ambassadors supposed to be trained in again? Crisis intervention and support services, huh? Sounds like they'll need some serious training themselves 
it just seems like they're making things worse than better. like, what's up with that? they're basically treating people who are struggling with mental health issues like criminals, instead of trying to help them 
it would be so much safer and more effective for everyone involved. plus, it's not like transit ambassadors are going to break anyone's legs or anything 
maybe this is the start of something positive? but at the same time, i'm also worried about the potential impact on public safety... we'll just have to wait and see what happens 
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