Critics argue that the city is investing millions into progressive non-profits that hire former convicts with little oversight from the NYPD, and they claim the cost of this unproven initiative has surged dramatically over the past decade.
According to a city comptroller’s report from last year, the city allocates nearly $100 million annually to its Crisis Management System, which encompasses over 20 Community Violence Intervention groups. When the program began in 2012, its budget was just $4.8 million.
The report describes “violence interrupters” as “trusted community members with firsthand experience in violence prevention who mediate conflicts, prevent retaliation, and address the root causes of violence.”
These workers, however, are not law enforcement officers; they are often former convicts with violent pasts, tasked with defusing tensions among gangs they might have once been part of.
“We’re pouring millions of dollars into social experiments instead of giving it to the actual police,” said Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens).
She continued, “Unvetted ‘violence interrupters’ are not the answer to crime in New York City. The answer is a larger, well-trained, uniformed police force. The money being spent on these programs should be spent on another academy class so we can get more real crime fighters on the streets, not on paying glorified vigilantes to ‘interrupt’ things.”
Since 2010, a Brooklyn group called Man Up! has received over $50 million in city contracts. Since 2020, it has obtained an additional $6.5 million in City Council funds, including $2,215,000 for this fiscal year.
The Brownsville-based group states on its website that its mission is to serve “urban neighborhoods as a Multi-Cultural, social service Agency for Neighborhood improvement and for the complete Understanding of emergency Preparedness!”
Since 2012, a similar group called Street Corner has been awarded more than $17 million in city contracts and $105,000 in City Council discretionary funds, while the non-profit Life Camp has received over $20 million in city contracts and an additional $992,516 in City Council discretionary funds.
Proponents assert that these groups contribute to reducing shootings in New York City through conflict resolution and engaging with teenagers. According to NYPD data, shootings have decreased citywide.
However, a veteran police officer expressed skepticism about their effectiveness compared to traditional law enforcement.
“These public safety groups can help but they can’t replace the badge,” a law enforcement source stated. “They may prevent conflict but when lives are on the line people still count on the police. You cannot substitute the men and women who will stand between chaos and the public.”
Mayor Mamdani, known for his progressive stance, has advocated for further expansion of the city’s Crisis Management System through his Office of Community Safety, which was established in March with a $260 million budget.
“And so what I would do is, is support a Cure Violence approach. The CMS system, we’ve talked about increasing funding by 275% as one part of the way in which we deliver public safety,” Mamdani told NY 1’s Errol Louis in 2025.
