The Mamdani administration is under fire for cold-related deaths reported in New York City after restricting the conditions under which homeless people can be removed from the streets.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) allowed more homeless people to stay outside during life-threatening cold temperatures rather than force them into warming centers. Critics said the policy was dangerous and irresponsible.
‘People die in their homes all the time.’
Since then, seven cold-related deaths have been documented, with others that have yet to be classified, though officials claimed these deaths occurred in “private homes.” A total of 19 people have died outdoors since freezing temperatures struck in late January.
When the administration was questioned about the lack of details being released about the deaths, the administration callously responded that the deaths were normal.
“They did not die on city property, so we are not releasing,” said a Mamdani spokesperson to the New York Post. “People die in their homes all the time.”
The controversy is compounded by a Gothamist report saying City Hall has taken over communications about the cold-related deaths from the New York City Police Dept. The confusion led to the public lacking information about the deaths.
“It is now clear that there was a miscommunication between NYPD and City Hall,” wrote Mamdani spokesperson Joe Calvello.
The NYPD issued a similar statement with identical wording.
“It is now clear there was a miscommunication between City Hall and the NYPD. Moving forward, information regarding deaths will be released by the most relevant agency,” said NYPD deputy commissioner for public information Delaney Kempner.
The report said both declined to comment further on the deaths.
Gothamist said that NYPD officials had expressed “confusion and frustration” at the decision from City Hall to take over the communications.
Critics are accusing Mamdani of trying to cover up the deaths related to his policies.
“It’s called the mayor’s CYA protocol,” said former First Deputy NYPD Commissioner George Grasso. The abbreviation CYA means “cover your a**.”
Contrary to the report, when pressed about the communications change, Mamdani said that the policy had not changed.
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“To my understanding, we’ve continued the policy as it has been,” Mamdani said at a press conference. “We’ve sought to be transparent with New Yorkers about this information.”
Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec issued a vague statement about the deaths.
“Each life of a New Yorker lost is a tragedy, whether at a private residence or on the streets of our city,” she said. “[The Office of Chief Medical Officer] has made the final determination that seven individuals died at private residences.”
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