WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered the NYPD’s first review of its use of force policies in a decade.
  • The order followed an officer’s retirement before a disciplinary trial connected to the fatal shooting of Win Rozario.
  • Rozario was shot after lunging at officers with scissors despite being struck twice with Tasers.
  • Mamdani announced another $2.6 million for independent NYPD oversight, enough to triple the inspector general office’s current headcount.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has directed the NYPD to conduct its first review of use-of-force policies in a decade. He also announced another $2.6 million for independent oversight of the police department as scrutiny follows the fatal shooting of a Queens teenager.

The directive was announced Monday after an officer involved in the death of 19-year-old Win Rozario was allowed to retire before facing a disciplinary trial. That development outraged Rozario’s family and placed renewed attention on the department’s policies and disciplinary process.

“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 killed in March 2024 after police responded to a 911 call from his home in Ozone Park. The teenager was mentally ill, and body camera footage showed the encounter that ended with officers opening fire.

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According to the footage, Rozario lunged at officers with scissors while his mother and brother pleaded with police not to shoot him. Officers fired their Tasers at Rozario twice, but the footage showed that he continued charging toward them.

Officers Matthew Cianfrocco and Salvatore Alongi then fired their weapons at Rozario. He was taken to a hospital and later died, turning the police response to a call from his home into the subject of criminal and departmental scrutiny.

In December, New York Attorney General Letitia James decided not to pursue criminal charges against the officers. Even without criminal charges, the officers remained subject to an internal review by the NYPD over their conduct during the fatal encounter.

The disciplinary process took another turn Thursday, when one of the officers involved in Rozario’s death was permitted to retire before his disciplinary trial.

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Mamdani tied the review directly to the city’s responsibilities toward residents who seek assistance during moments of crisis. His announcement focused on accountability, officer guidance, training, and whether families can trust the city’s response when they call for help.

“We have an obligation to Win’s family and to every New Yorker who calls for help in a moment of crisis,” Mamdani said.

“This review is about making sure our policies reflect that responsibility, that our officers have the guidance and training they need and that New Yorkers and their families can trust their city will treat them with care and dignity.”

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The review marks the first examination of the NYPD’s use of force policies in 10 years. Mamdani’s order places those rules back under scrutiny following a case involving Tasers, scissors, multiple officers and the fatal use of police firearms.

Alongside the policy review, Mamdani said his administration would provide an additional $2.6 million to the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD. The new funding is intended to expand independent oversight of the department and its operations.

The added money will triple the office’s current headcount. The Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD operates independently and is responsible for providing oversight of the police department while examining its policies and operations.

Mamdani’s action combines a department review with a sizable expansion of the office assigned to independent oversight. The announcement arrives as Rozario’s family continues to object to an officer leaving the department before a disciplinary trial could take place.

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