Mamdani Names Francois Deputy Mayor for Community Safety

New Office of Community Safety to Centralize Public Safety Agencies and Implement Evidence-Based Solutions

Mar. 20, 2026 at 9:16am

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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani has announced the creation of the Office of Community Safety and appointed Renita Francois as New York City's first-ever Deputy Mayor of Community Safety. The new office will centralize existing public safety agencies and implement a multifaceted, evidence-based approach to addressing complex public safety challenges, including violence prevention, hate crime prevention, domestic violence prevention, and mental health crisis response.

Why it matters

For too long, the city has relied on a patchwork of programs and placed ever-expanding expectations on the police department to address failures in the social safety net. This new Office of Community Safety represents a whole-of-government model to pursue coordinated, strategic solutions that target the root causes of violence and other public safety issues.

The details

The Office of Community Safety will house three divisions: the Division of Neighborhood Safety, the Division of Community Mental Health, and the Division of Strategic Initiatives. The Division of Neighborhood Safety will focus on violence prevention, hate crime prevention, domestic violence prevention, and victim support services. The Division of Community Mental Health will oversee crisis response programs like B-HEARD and guide investments in preventative and ongoing mental health care. The Division of Strategic Initiatives will pilot new public health-based approaches to violence prevention.

  • The executive order creating the Office of Community Safety will be signed shortly by Mayor Mamdani.
  • Renita Francois will begin her role as New York City's first Deputy Mayor of Community Safety immediately.

The players

Zohran Kwame Mamdani

The Mayor of New York City who is creating the Office of Community Safety and appointing Renita Francois as the first Deputy Mayor of Community Safety.

Renita Francois

The newly appointed Deputy Mayor of Community Safety, who has extensive experience in public safety and violence prevention roles in New York City and Los Angeles.

Jumaane Williams

The New York City Public Advocate, who has long advocated for community-based approaches to public safety and violence prevention.

Erica Ford

A longtime community organizer and violence prevention advocate who served on the Task Force to Prevent Gun Violence with the Public Advocate.

K. Bain

A community leader who worked with the Public Advocate on the Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, Grocery employee

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This new Office of Community Safety represents a bold, innovative approach to public safety that moves beyond relying solely on law enforcement and instead takes a holistic, public health-based approach to addressing the root causes of violence and other community challenges. By centralizing existing public safety agencies and programs under a single deputy mayor, the city is signaling a commitment to coordinated, evidence-based solutions that can improve safety and wellbeing for all New Yorkers.