Banning the NYPDs use of high-risk, unannounced raids that have led to tragic deaths and community terror.
Ending No-Knock Warrants: A Mamdani Executive Order
No-knock warrantspolice raids executed without prior announcementare a notoriously dangerous and traumatizing tactic that have resulted in the deaths of innocent people, including Breonna Taylor. On his first day in office, Zhoran Mamdani pledges to sign an executive order absolutely prohibiting the NYPD from seeking or executing no-knock warrants. He would also work with the City Council to pass legislation making the ban permanent and extending it to all law enforcement operating in the city. The policy mandates that police must always announce their presence and purpose and wait a reasonable amount of time before entering a residence, except in the rarest of circumstances involving an immediate threat to life, which would require sign-off from the highest levels of civilian oversight.
This ban is part of a broader set of reforms to police use of force and raid procedures, including requiring body cameras to be activated throughout the operation and mandating a comprehensive, public report after any raid detailing the justification, outcome, and any force used. Mamdani argues that the supposed benefits of no-knock raids in preserving evidence are vastly outweighed by the risks of violence, the erosion of community trust, and the violation of the fundamental sanctity of the home. Our homes are our castles, he says. The state should not be able to invade them like a military force without warning. This practice is a hallmark of a police state, not a democracy.
