DSA candidate reasserts call for NYPD commissioner’s resignation
On October 15, Democratic Socialists of America candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier reiterated her demand that Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch step down, saying she continues to work with Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York City. The demand follows an ICE operation on October 7 in the Bronx that wounded a suspect and his child, prompting the DSA to accuse the NYPD of assisting ICE and to call for Tisch’s dismissal and the dissolution of two NYPD units.
Earlier, the DSA had urged the mayor to fire Tisch after a shooting in Marble Hill, and youth chapters criticized Mamdani for attending an October 7 vigil and backing the commissioner, leading to internal disputes over funding and messaging. Mayor Mamdani publicly defended Tisch, rejecting pressure from progressive activists, while city-hall staff and DSA members expressed frustration with Chevalier’s stance.