Mamdani Approves Massive NYPD Overtime Expansion During World Cup Despite Past Push to Cut Police Spending

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has approved a major increase in NYPD overtime spending this summer, signing off on a plan that will place most of the department's uniformed officers on 12-hour shifts during a week packed with large-scale events including the World Cup, July 4 celebrations and Sail250 festivities.

In a memo sent Wednesday to roughly 34,400 uniformed officers, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a "majority" of officers would work extended shifts between July 1 and July 7 because of "unprecedented demands" tied to the city's crowded summer calendar and what she described as a "heightened threat environment."

The memo, a copy of which was obtained by POLITICO, added that more 12-hour tours could be introduced later in July as the World Cup Final approaches.

Mamdani's office confirmed the mayor approved the overtime increase despite campaigning last year on promises to curb police overtime spending, which has consistently approached $1 billion annually. A spokesperson for the mayor said he supports "additional steps the NYPD is taking" to ensure "a fun and safe summer for New Yorkers and visitors alike."

The decision follows weeks of tension between Mamdani and Tisch over how aggressively to police the World Cup and related events expected to draw more than 1 million visitors to New York City. Tisch had been pushing internally for extended police deployments during the tournament, while Mamdani's team weighed the political and financial consequences of expanding overtime so early in his administration.

The dispute has highlighted the unusual working relationship between Mamdani, a democratic socialist who has called for dismantling the NYPD in the past, and Tisch, a politically moderate commissioner retained from the previous administration.

Last October, Mamdani publicly apologized to NYPD officers during an interview on Fox News for past statements in which he described the department as "racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety."

"I apologize because of the fact that I'm looking to work with these officers," Mamdani said at the time. "These men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day."

Since taking office, Mamdani has largely deferred to Tisch on major public safety decisions. The city's Independent Budget Office estimated the July overtime expansion alone could add more than $20 million in additional NYPD spending.