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Controversial Picks for Mamdani's Transition Spark Outrage

12/6/2025

Summary

Story summary

Former NYC Correction Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi and activist Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari have been named to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's transition committees.
Critics say Schiraldi's lenient crime approach and his tenure at Rikers Island contributed to violence surging.
Shaakir-Ansari's admiration for cop-killer Assata Shakur has drawn ire from law enforcement families who view it as undermining police morale.
Mamdani has not addressed the controversy publicly, instead focusing on broader city issues.

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Story summary

Former NYC Correction Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi and activist Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari have been named to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's transition committees.
Critics say Schiraldi's lenient crime approach and his tenure at Rikers Island contributed to violence surging.
Shaakir-Ansari's admiration for cop-killer Assata Shakur has drawn ire from law enforcement families who view it as undermining police morale.
Mamdani has not addressed the controversy publicly, instead focusing on broader city issues.