Zohran Mamdani will be protected by 350 cops for inaugural party despite calling them 'wicked'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is set to be sworn into office as the New York City mayor in January. Those set to take part in the ceremony include state Attorney General Letitia James and Senator Bernie Sanders.
The ceremony will take place on New Year’s Day during a block party when Mamdani’s term will officially begin.
However, with just days to go, the New York Post reported on Sunday, December 28, that Zohran Mamdani would be escorted by approximately 350 to 400 police officers, members of the same law enforcement that Mamdani once reportedly termed “wicked.”
Police detail for Zohran Mamdani's inauguration could be expensive
Several law enforcement officers anonymously spoke to the New York Post as they chimed in on Zohran Mamdani’s upcoming inauguration, set to take place during a New Era Block Party.
A police officer, with more than 25 years of experience under his belt, told the Post that Mamdani was set to have a celebration with people who “hate the police,” while the police needed to be there to protect them.
Another source claimed that if every officer who was present at the inaugural bash was paid an additional $100 per hour as overtime, along with detectives, lieutenants, and chiefs, the detail could cost up to “a half million dollars.”
Another law enforcement officer anonymously told the publication that it was “ironic” that the mayor-elect wanted to spend so much money to use city services even though one of his agendas was to decrease the funds allocated to the New York Police Department.
“I think it goes to show how naive he is,” they added.
Zohran Mamdani retracts anti-cop comments
In October 2025, Zohran Mamdani acknowledged on Fox News the comments he made against the New York Police Department back in 2020.
At the time, Mamdani was a mayoral candidate and said that the tweets he posted in 2020 were in reference to the death of George Floyd and that at the time, it felt like “safety and justice” had never been further apart.
He added that he was apologizing because he looked forward to working with the law department and said he knew that the people who served in the NYPD put their lives at risk for the better good every day.
