Date: May 5, 2026
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced the appointment of Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety (OCS), a newly created office aimed at coordinating public safety strategy across the city.
The appointment is part of the administration’s broader effort to build what officials describe as a “whole-of-government approach” to safety, combining public health, mental health, and criminal justice systems.
Who is Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey?
Dr. Delany-Brumsey brings nearly two decades of experience in behavioral health, criminal justice reform, and public health. She previously served as Senior Advisor and Director of Community-Based Services at NYC Health + Hospitals and held leadership roles at Fountain House, the Vera Institute of Justice, and the Council of State Governments Justice Center.
She also worked under former Mayor Bill de Blasio as Director of Behavioral Health Research and Programming at the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.
What the New Office Will Do
The Office of Community Safety will oversee several city agencies and programs, including:
- Office of Crime Victim Services
- Office to Prevent Gun Violence
- Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence
- Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes
- Office of Community Mental Health
According to City Hall, the goal is to shift from a one-size-fits-all policing model to a more coordinated system that deploys the “right response” depending on the situation.
Policy Direction
Officials emphasize prevention, care, and coordination as key pillars of the new strategy. Programs like B-HEARD — which send mental health teams instead of police in certain emergencies — are expected to expand citywide.
Supporters say this approach could reduce reliance on traditional policing and improve outcomes in mental health and crisis response situations.
Critics, however, may question whether the expansion of multiple agencies under a single office will improve efficiency — or create additional layers of bureaucracy.
Why It Matters
The creation of the Office of Community Safety represents a significant shift in how New York City defines and manages public safety. Instead of focusing primarily on law enforcement, the administration is prioritizing social services, health systems, and coordinated responses.
The success of this model will likely depend on execution — including funding, coordination between agencies, and measurable results across the five boroughs.
Official Source (NYC.gov)
This article is based on the official NYC Mayor’s Office press release:
Mayor Mamdani Appoints Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey as Commissioner of Office of Community Safety
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Source type: Press release
View original NYC.gov text
Original text excerpt
Mayor Mamdani Appoints Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey as Commissioner of Office of Community Safety
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced today the appointment of Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey, a longtime public health and criminal justice leader, as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety (OCS). She will report to Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Renita Francois.
Dr. Delany-Brumsey currently serves as Senior Advisor and Director of Community-Based Services in the Office of Behavioral Health at New York City Health + Hospitals. She brings more than a decade of experience in public health, mental health care and criminal justice reform, and holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UCLA. She previously served as Chief Strategic Growth Officer at Fountain House, a nonprofit dedicated to improving health and well-being for people with serious mental illnesses, and as Director of Behavioral Health Research and Programming at the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.
“Real public safety comes from investing in people and building a government that meets New Yorkers’ needs. With the Office of Community Safety, we are developing a coordinated, citywide strategy that ensures every situation gets the right response—not a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Mayor Mamdani. “I’m confident Dr. Delany-Brumsey will lead the Office of Community Safety with both deep expertise in public health-based practices and deep commitment to community-led solutions.”
“The Office of Community Safety brings together work that has too often been fragmented and aligns it into a single, effective strategy rooted in prevention, care and coordination,” said Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Renita Francois. “Dr. Delany-Brumsey will help us strengthen how the city responds — deploying the appropriate personnel and resources in every situation and delivering a more holistic, effective approach to safety across the five boroughs.”
“I am honored and thrilled to lead the Office of Community Safety at a moment when the Mamdani administration is taking on the vital work of building a whole-of-government approach to public safety,” said Commissioner Delany-Brumsey. “I look forward to working with Deputy Mayor Francois and partners across city government to expand evidence-based programs, strengthen crisis response, and build a system that delivers coordinated, compassionate care for all New Yorkers.”
“To build a safer New York, it is critical that city government coordinate across agencies to develop response strategies that prioritize both prevention and care. Today, I am thrilled to welcome our new OCS commissioner, Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey, to lead this effort,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “Dr. Delany-Brumsey’s years of public and private sector experience in health equity, mental health, and criminal justice make her well-equipped for the task at hand—to connect healthcare and community safety in a way that ensures every New Yorker is safe and treated with dignity.”
“Keeping New Yorkers safe requires a coordinated approach across city government,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “That includes making sure people have access to the services and support they need, while allowing our officers to stay focused on the work they are trained to do. I look forward to working with Commissioner Delany-Brumsey to strengthen that coordination and deliver the right response in every situation.”
“Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey brings deep expertise in the city’s crisis response system to her new role as Commissioner of the Office of Community Safety,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “Her experience overseeing B-HEARD will be instrumental in building the program’s next chapter as it expands citywide. We are eager to work together in advancing health care for all New Yorkers.”
In March, the Mayor established the Office of Community Safety through an Executive Order and appointed Renita Francois as Deputy Mayor for Community Safety. The Office will oversee the Office of Crime Victim Services, Office to Prevent Gun Violence, Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and the Office of Community Mental Health.
As Commissioner, Dr. Delany-Brumsey will coordinate work across these offices to address the root causes of crime and violence and advance a unified, whole-of-government approach to community safety. In line with the Mayor’s commitment, the City will continue expanding evidence-based prevention strategies and wraparound services across all five boroughs, while improving coordination across agencies. The Office will also oversee and better integrate crisis response programs, including B-HEARD.
About Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey
Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UCLA, with a focus on health equity research. She has spent nearly two decades working to improve mental health and criminal justice outcomes nationwide, most recently as Senior Advisor and Director of Community-Based Services at the Office of Behavioral Health for New York City Health + Hospitals. In that role, she oversaw citywide behavioral health programming, including mobile crisis teams and B-HEARD.
Prior to joining H+H, Dr. Delany-Brumsey served as Chief Strategic Growth Officer at Fountain House, a national nonprofit focused on improving mental health outcomes and ending social and economic isolation for individuals with serious mental illness. She also held leadership roles at the Council of State Governments Justice Center, where she directed the Behavioral Health Division and at the Vera Institute of Justice, where she led the Substance Use and Mental Health Program.
Under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, Dr. Delany-Brumsey served as Director of Behavioral Health Research and Programming at the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, where she managed the citywide Crisis Prevention and Response Task Force.