Mamdani wants 'transit ambassadors' — not NYPD — to get homeless people out of subways

Homeless Outreach Efforts Under Fire as Zohran Mamdani Pledges to Replace NYPD with 'Transit Ambassadors'

As New York City grapples with a growing homeless crisis, the city's Partnership Assistance for Transit Homelessness (PATH) program has been lauded for reducing the number of people living in the subways with severe mental illness. However, the program's future is uncertain, and its reliance on NYPD officers to forcibly remove individuals from the transit system has sparked controversy.

The PATH teams, formed under Mayor Eric Adams' administration, have removed over 600 homeless people from the subways since their launch last year. The teams consist of outreach workers, nurses, and police officers who work together to identify individuals with severe mental illness and involuntarily hospitalize them if deemed necessary.

However, Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani has pledged to replace NYPD officers with 'transit ambassadors' in the homeless outreach effort. According to Mamdani's campaign spokesperson, Dora Pekec, "transit ambassadors" will provide assistance with emergencies, directions, accessibility, and other transit information to riders on the platform.

The PATH program is unpopular among many homeless and civil liberties advocates, who argue that the presence of NYPD officers undermines the efforts of outreach workers. Many opponents also argue that forcing someone into the hospital after a snap diagnosis violates their individual rights.

"the presence of a uniformed and armed police officer is going to be detrimental to the efforts of a trained outreach worker to build trust with that individual and to offer them services," said Dave Giffen, head of the Coalition for the Homeless.

Mamdani's campaign has largely agreed with this assessment, saying the deployment of NYPD officers for homeless outreach takes resources away from more important crimes. Instead, Mamdani proposes a Department of Community Safety that will focus on mental health crisis and homelessness, allowing police officers to focus on serious crimes.

The PATH program is part of a larger effort to address street homelessness in New York City. The city's next mayor will determine the future of the program, which has garnered interest from officials in other cities looking to address their own issues with street homelessness.

As the debate over the PATH program continues, one thing is clear: the city must find a solution that balances public safety with compassion and understanding for those struggling with mental illness.

I'm like totally confused about this whole homeless crisis situation . I mean, I remember when NYC was all about having a diverse crowd on the subway, you know, people from all walks of life? Nowadays it seems like we're always hearing about someone getting arrested for being homeless. It's just not right .

And now this mayor is proposing to replace NYPD with 'transit ambassadors' ? I don't know, man...I'm all for helping people who need it, but what if they're not even getting the help they need? What if they just get stuck in this limbo of homelessness and can't move forward?

I was talking to my grandma the other day and she told me about when she used to see homeless guys on the street back in the '80s . She said it was always some punk kid or a family with kids, not like this whole epidemic of people just wandering around .

But at the same time, I get why Zohran Mamdani wants to try something different . The system's gotta be fixed somehow. Maybe instead of 'transit ambassadors' we need more community centers and job training programs? Just a thought ...

I'm kinda worried about the future of the PATH program . On one hand, removing 600 people from subways with severe mental illness in just one year is a huge success ! But on the other hand, using NYPD officers to forcibly remove individuals can be super problematic .

Mamdani's plan to replace them with 'transit ambassadors' sounds like a great idea . I mean, who wouldn't want some friendly face to help them navigate the transit system and offer emergency assistance? According to my stats :

- 71% of homeless individuals report feeling anxious or fearful when interacting with law enforcement
- 63% of outreach workers say that having a uniformed officer present actually deters people from seeking help

But let's not forget the importance of public safety . I've seen some graphs showing how crime rates have decreased in areas where the PATH program has been implemented .

Anyways, it's all about finding that balance between compassion and safety . According to a survey by the NYC Department of Health, 75% of New Yorkers support mental health services for homeless individuals .

Here are some more stats:

- The city has seen a 25% increase in homelessness since 2020
- 85% of homeless individuals have a mental illness diagnosis
- 50% of outreach workers report feeling burned out due to the demands of their job

idk how ppl feel about path but i think it's a good start. they're tryna help homeless ppl & reduce ppl living in subways w/ severe mental illness but the way they do it is whack. using NYPD officers to forcibly remove ppl from subways isnt right, even if it's to save lives. what if those ppl just need some ppl 2 talk 2? or maybe a place 2 rest?

i feel like transit ambassadors could b a good alternative. not sure bout the idea tho... might be better 2 have trained ppl in mental health crisis & homelessness instead of cops

I gotta say, I'm all about giving people a second chance when it comes to mental health issues . We need more programs like PATH but without the cops causing unnecessary trauma. Transit ambassadors sound like a great idea - who wouldn't want some help navigating the subway system or getting to a crisis center? It's not rocket science, just basic human kindness . And yeah, let's be real, the NYPD presence is majorly deterring people from opening up about their struggles . Can we please focus on building trust and providing resources instead of piling more stress on those already fighting to stay afloat?

I'm worried about people who are homeless they deserve help not be treated like they're a threat. I think it's a good idea to replace NYPD officers with transit ambassadors, it would show that the city is willing to listen and help instead of just enforcing rules. But at the same time, we need to make sure that everyone is safe on our subways . It can't be one or the other, we need to find a balance between compassion and public safety. Maybe we could have trained emergency responders who are experts in mental health crisis? That way everyone wins

this is so crazy i mean who does that replace nypd officers with transit ambassadors lol but seriously it's like they wanna fix homelessness but it sounds like they're making things worse by not having trained staff on the ground meanwhile ppl are still stuck in subways getting sick and dying

I think replacing NYPD officers with 'transit ambassadors' is a good idea . The current setup has its flaws - I mean, using police to forcibly remove people from the transit system just doesn't seem right. It's like, they're trying to help, but it's gotta be done in a way that actually helps. Transit ambassadors can provide assistance without the, you know, force factor . And who knows, maybe it'll even build trust with those struggling with mental illness? Just need to figure out the logistics and funding for this new approach .

man this homeless crisis in NYC is getting out of hand i feel so bad for all these ppl who are struggling. it's like the system is already against them, and now they gotta deal with cops showing up and trying to force them into a hospital? that's just not right zohran mamdani's idea of replacing nypd with transit ambassadors might be worth looking into tho - it seems like a more compassionate approach we need to find ways to help these ppl, not just push them around or lock 'em up

I'm worried about how the PATH program has been set up . I get why we need to help people who are struggling, but using NYPD officers to remove them from the subway is kinda harsh, you know? It's like, they're already vulnerable, and then you add a cop in their face... it can't be good for anyone.

I think Zohran Mamdani has a point about taking resources away from serious crimes, though . We need to make sure our police officers are using their skills to help people, not just enforce the law. But we also need to make sure they're doing it in a way that's compassionate and understanding.

It's like, what if instead of removing someone from the subway, we could get them some help right there? You know, like connecting them with services or getting them medication... that would be a game-changer . I think we need to find a way to balance public safety with compassion, and it sounds like Mamdani is onto something. Fingers crossed!

just heard about this new idea of transit ambassadors instead of cops in homeless outreach efforts... i think its kinda cool , we need to focus on helping ppl get back on their feet rather than just moving them around . and replacing NYPD officers with trained outreach workers and mental health professionals would be a huge step forward . it's not about being soft on crime, but about showing compassion and empathy for people who are struggling . we can't just keep shuffling the same old problems around, we need to get creative and find real solutions .

idk why ppl have 2 disagree about this homeless thing , cant we just try 2 help ppl in need? NYC's gotta do better than just havin a bunch of cops in the subway, that's just gonna scare more ppl away . Zohran's idea 2 replace cops with 'transit ambassadors' is actually kinda cool, it shows he cares about ppl over politics . we should be tryna build trust w/ homeless people, not use them as a scapegoat 4 serious crimes . lets focus on gettin mental health support 2 those whos need it

The NYC homeless crisis is getting worse, like, seriously bad news 600 people removed from subways is just a drop in the bucket, and Zohran Mamdani's plan to replace NYPD with 'transit ambassadors' ain't gonna help either . Who needs mental health services when you got more cops on the streets? The Coalition for the Homeless says it all, they're right, it's time for a change, not just more of the same .

A man holding a 'Transit Ambassador' badge walks into a room full of people, but no one recognizes him . Meanwhile, a PATH team officer in the background is like "nope, you're not getting off that train" . Transit ambassadors vs police officers: which one can you trust?

ugh, can't believe what's happening with the PATH program ... they're basically trying to take away the cops who are actually doing something good, like removing people from the subways when they're in distress. It makes sense that they wouldn't want some uniformed cop showing up and causing a scene, but having no one at all is not gonna help either lol, what's next? just leaving everyone to fend for themselves on the platform

I'm super worried about the homeless situation in NYC they need more support not less. Replacing NYPD officers with transit ambassadors might seem like a good idea, but it's not gonna fix anything on its own. We need to rethink our entire approach to addressing homelessness, from affordable housing to mental health services. The current PATH program is already doing some great work, but we can't just scrap it and expect things to magically change

I think it's cool that Zohran Mamdani wants to replace NYPD officers with 'transit ambassadors' in the homeless outreach effort... It makes sense that having more trained staff who can provide support and resources would be a better approach, especially since many people feel uncomfortable around police officers in these situations. Plus, it's about time we focus on mental health crisis and homelessness, rather than just relying on law enforcement to handle everything.

omg yaaas i'm so down 4 Zohran Mamdani's plan 2 replace NYPD w/ transit ambassadors!!! they r gonna b like superheroes 4 homeless ppl, helpin them out w/ emergencies n directions instead of just dealin w/ cops. i mean, who needs cops 2 tell u where 2 go when u got ppl w/ mental illness needin help? Dave Giffen's point b 2 w/ the cops is cool n all, but lets be real, NYPD officers r not exactly known 4 their empathy Mamdani's plan makes sense, they gotta focus on gettin homeless ppl tht help & resources

I think it's crazy how we're trying to replace one set of people with another, you know? Like, what's wrong with having both police officers and transit ambassadors? Can't they just coexist? It feels like the city is getting rid of the 'bad guys' and then expecting the 'good guys' to do all the work. Meanwhile, we're still not addressing the root cause of homelessness... mental health. We need to find a way to support people in need without making them feel more judged than loved