Mamdani has signed an executive order establishing the Mayoral Office of Community Safety to overhaul how the city handles 911 calls involving mental health crises. Fulfilling a pared-down version of a major campaign pledge, the new entity will launch with a $260 million budget redirected from existing programs, rather than the originally proposed $1.1 billion standalone department. Renita Francois, a former city official, has been appointed as the city’s first Black deputy mayor to lead the initiative. The office will consolidate oversight of five existing city programs to shift reliance away from armed police officers during non-criminal emergencies. While the administration views this as a thoughtful first step toward systemic reform, advocates from organizations like the Legal Aid Society emphasize that the office will require “momentum, intentionality and funding” to be truly effective.