By Michael Letts
The law enforcement veteran and InVest USA founder discusses why Mamdani’s words are setting the stage for chaos – which NYPD officers will have to deal with.
It was just a couple of weeks ago when New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani went onto his social media accounts and openly threatened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with arrest during his visit to the U.N. General Assembly in September.
He noted he was acting on a warrant issued in 2024 by the International Criminal Court, believing Netanyahu should be charged (wrongfully, might I add) for war crimes and acts against humanity.
As expected, he backed off quickly when he realized that he did not, in fact, have the power to enforce such an arrest. However, he opted to ask for the support of “the federal government” to get the job done. A call, might I add, that has yet to be answered.
That said, however, Mamdani’s bid to win over his beloved public may have just created a situation for Netanyahu’s visit that will test an already weary New York Police Department to its limits.
According to the New York Post, officers will soon face a “security nightmare” with Netanyahu’s visit, especially with Mamdani cheering on the idea that people should protest his visit. With this, protests could easily grow out of hand, turning New York into a potential war zone.
“Basically, he’s making what would be considered a Category 1 hurricane that we deal with every year into a Category 5 because of his words,” an NYPD source explained.
“We have to protect hotels, we have to protect whatever (dignitaries) go out to eat, we have to protect everything. Having the mayor say, ‘Go ahead and protest, and he should be arrested’ is unfair to your own cops.”
Now, mind you, Mamdani has made his disdain against New York police officers clear in the past. He was once considered highly supportive of the “defund the police” campaign that began in 2020, though he insists he’s since backed away from that stance. And he’s made changes to a hiring plan that would have brought in additional officers – who definitely could have come in handy for the Netanyahu visit.
In short, this feels like a very public jab against the NYPD. Of course, Mamdani is padding himself up for his followers, trying to be “everybody’s mayor” when, in fact, he’s punishing police officers for little to no reason.
“The mayor’s activist posturing puts police officers on the street in a terrible position,” NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said a while back. “Protests during the U.N. General Assembly are nothing new, but when the mayor of the city is actively calling for demonstrations, violent agitators will assume they have permission to cause as much havoc as possible.”
Right? Might as well just give them all keys to the city while you’re at it.
Hendry added, “Those same agitators know that the NYPD’s protest response is already hamstrung by the dangerous lawsuit settlement the city signed over the PBA’s opposition. The mayor’s heated rhetoric could be enough to push demonstrations over the edge of chaos.”
Mamdani can say how “peaceful” these will be all he wants. But take a good look at how anti-Israel protests have gone on college campuses in the past. Students being threatened. Dozens of arrests. Damage to property. Sheer child’s play compared to what hundreds of thousands of angry protestors can do in the heart of the Big Apple.
I wish all the NYPD officers well. They’re going through enough as it is, with thousands leaving their ranks and the many still left on the force having to deal with a mayor that simply doesn’t give a damn about them. This latest example is the proof, and something needs to change.
Otherwise, Mamdani will continue to pump up his image and police will leave in droves. Then who’s left to protect the city? His online followers? Civilian volunteers? They can’t get the job done like NYPD officers can.
As Brooks and Dunn once sang, “You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.”
About Michael Letts…
Michael Letts is the Founder, President, and CEO of InVest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, hence his pro-police stance for his brothers and sisters in blue. Those interested in learning more about Letts can visit his official website here.
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