Mamdani Appoints Anti-Cop Chief Adviser In Latest Staff Move
New York City’s incoming socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed his longtime aide and ideological ally, Elle Bisgaard-Church, as his chief adviser, a move that cements the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) influence inside City Hall and signals a continuation of his controversial push to overhaul policing in America’s largest city.
Bisgaard-Church, a California-born Ivy League graduate and DSA activist, has been described as the “chief architect” of Mamdani’s proposal to replace police officers with social workers for certain non-violent 911 calls. The plan — which critics say would put public safety at risk — calls for creating a new Department of Community Safety to handle “non-life-threatening emergencies,” particularly in subway stations, Fox News reported.
According to CBS News, Bisgaard-Church was instrumental in shaping Mamdani’s campaign message and organizing weekly coordination meetings between the campaign and New York City’s DSA chapter. Insiders credit her as the driving force behind Mamdani’s entire public safety platform, which carries a projected price tag of $1.1 billion.
In developing the controversial proposal, Bisgaard-Church reportedly met with mental health professionals, public safety officials from other cities, and former NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison. But despite those consultations, the idea of removing law enforcement from emergency response has been met with sharp criticism from police and community leaders alike.
Bisgaard-Church’s ideological leanings are clear. In a recent interview with City & State, she declared:
“I still feel daily, deeply ashamed to live in a place where we allow people to sleep on concrete at night … and I fundamentally believe it doesn’t have to be that way. It represents (a) political choice.”
She went on to praise the DSA, saying,
“The place where I have seen that shared sense of rage at such a moral failure has been in a handful of movement organizations, including New York City DSA.”
Her deep involvement with the DSA includes co-authoring a 2021 policy document guiding how the socialist group should engage with elected officials. She also helped form the DSA’s legislative analysis team and has been credited with securing the organization’s critical endorsement of Mamdani’s mayoral campaign.
Following her appointment, Bisgaard-Church thanked the incoming administration for the opportunity, saying she looked forward to advancing Mamdani’s “affordability agenda” and demonstrating “the potential benefits of a well-managed City Hall.”
However, Mamdani’s antipathy toward the NYPD and traditional policing has already triggered serious consequences. According to New York Post sources, police resignations surged sharply in the month leading up to Mamdani’s election, with 245 officers leaving the force in October — a 35% jump from the same time last year.
Officials warn that the exodus could grow worse if Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch resigns.
“If she leaves it may result in an uptick,” a police union source told The Post. “If she stays, maybe not.”
The developments underscore growing unease within law enforcement as New York braces for a new era of socialist governance under Mamdani — one that critics fear could undermine the city’s fragile public safety infrastructure in favor of ideological experiments.