File #: Int 1524-2025    Version: * Name: Creating a department of community safety.
Type: Introduction Status: Committee
Committee: Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation
On agenda: 12/18/2025
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating a department of community safety
Sponsors: Lincoln Restler, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Althea V. Stevens, Tiffany L. Cabán, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Christopher Marte, Harvey D. Epstein, Sandy Nurse, Alexa Avilés, Shahana K. Hanif, Crystal Hudson, Justin L. Brannan, Julie Won, Farah N. Louis, Carmen N. De La Rosa, Chi A. Ossé, Nantasha M. Williams, Pierina Ana Sanchez, Yusef Salaam, Gale A. Brewer, Amanda C. Farías, Diana I. Ayala, Rita C. Joseph, Chris Banks, Keith Powers , Shekar Krishnan, Rafael Salamanca, Jr., Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
Council Member Sponsors: 28
Summary: This legislation creates a Department of Community Safety that will be tasked with promoting community safety, and providing emergency responses that support the preservation of public health, safety and welfare. This effort will involve collaboration with emergency responders, social service and public health officials, and the maintenance of field operations to facilitate the delivery of services to vulnerable populations and advance a sense of security within a community.
Indexes: Other Appointment Required
Attachments: 1. Memorandum in Support, 2. Summary of Int. No. 1524, 3. Int. No. 1524, 4. Dedember 18, 2025 - Stated Meeting Agenda

Int. No. 1524

By Council Members Restler, the Public Advocate (Mr. Williams) and Council Members Stevens, Cabán, Gutiérrez, Marte, Epstein, Nurse, Avilés, Hanif, Hudson, Brannan, Won, Louis, De La Rosa, Ossé, Williams, Sanchez, Salaam, Brewer, Farías, Ayala, Joseph, Banks, Powers, Krishnan,  Salamanca and Brooks-Powers

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating a department of community safety

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. The charter of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 18-E to read as follows:

Chapter 18-E

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SAFETY

§ 467. Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

Commissioner. The term “commissioner” means the commissioner of community safety.

Community safety. The term “community safety” means security that is achieved through holistic efforts to prevent and respond to incidents of physical, emotional, and financial harm with specialized resources and responders, and the provision of social services aimed to improve safety, quality of life, and stability of neighborhoods.

Department. The term “department” means the department of community safety.

§ 468. Department; commissioner. There shall be a department of community safety, the head of which shall be the commissioner of community safety who shall be appointed by the mayor.  The function, powers and duties of such department and commissioner shall not limit or impair the powers of any other agency established pursuant to this charter.

§ 469.  Functions, powers and duties of the department. The department shall promote community safety and provide emergency responses that support the preservation of public health, safety and welfare. 

a. General functions. (1) The department shall maintain no fewer than one office in each borough.  Such office shall operate twenty-four hours per day, and 7 days per week.  Each borough office shall be staffed by personnel possessing the requisite training and expertise to conduct the duties assigned to the department;

(2) The department shall assist in the coordination of operations among agencies and offices under the jurisdiction of the mayor that are involved in law enforcement, emergency response, crime prevention, victim services, social services, homeless services, mental health and public health;

(3) The department shall supplement and support the city’s response to certain emergency calls and requests for service in a manner consistent with protocols established by the mayor, or their designee;

(4) The department shall manage the contracts and coordinate operations of all vendors that contract with the city to provide: (i) alternatives to incarceration, including programs for diversion from incarceration; (ii) services related to re-entry to the community following incarceration; (iii) services related to pretrial supervised release; and (iv) violence prevention programming; and

(5) The department shall assist in the evaluation, development and implementation of policies and programs that promote community safety, such as through youth development, housing access, and environmental improvements.

c. Field operations.  Each borough office operated by the department shall deploy personnel to provide direct services, referrals, and emergency responses to promote community safety in the areas it serves.  Such efforts shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) Outreach to vulnerable populations, and facilitating the delivery of social services, medical care, and case management, through partnerships with city agencies and community-based service providers;

(2) Engaging in safety patrols, in collaboration with community volunteers, that involve maintaining a visible presence in targeted areas to prevent violence and advance a sense of security, and creating safe passage routes within communities and providing walking escorts when requested;

(3) Participating in emergency responses, in coordination with law enforcement and emergency medical services; and

(4) Providing conflict mediation and de-escalation in circumstances that are not likely to result in immediate harm or danger to the public.

d. Additional functions and powers.  Upon notice to the council, the mayor may direct the department to serve any additional function, or role, related to promoting community safety, including through subsuming the functions and powers of any existing office or agency not established pursuant to this charter.

§ 3. This local law takes effect 180 days after it becomes law.

 

JDK.

LS # 7050

11/12/2025