New York City Mayor Mamdani has appointed Ayesha Delany-Brumsey to head his new Office of Community Safety, focusing on the needs of those with mental illness rather than policing. This comes despite the narrative of the NYPD being demonised in his campaign as part of a negative campaign against them. The problem, which started when large state mental institutions were shut down due to abuse and neglect, has been exacerbated by decades of neglect. The current system fails to respond to crises when the mentally ill are left alone, often without adequate care or support. The small B-HEARD Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division of the city’s public hospitals does this in a few areas.