Vivek Ramaswamy says Ohio will welcome NYPD cops leaving NYC after Zohran Mamdani’s election as the city mayor.

GOP leader and Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has now welcomed NYOD officers to his state, promising them the respect they deserve. Ramaswamy’s invitation was an extension of what Ohio attorney general Dave Yost said, welcoming NYPD officers in various roles in Ohio where the cost of living is low too. “Hey, NYPD officers: we have lots of pro-law enforcement jurisdictions here in Ohio looking to hire. Lower cost of living, too. (And a supportive AG!)” Yost posted. “We’d welcome NYPD officers to Ohio’s cities & show them the respect they deserve. Well said, @DaveYostOH,” Ramaswamy reposted.ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is also actively recruiting, targeting NYPD officers. In its latest recruitment message, ICE called on police officers to ‘defend the homeland’ and “work for a President and a Secretary who support and defend law enforcement — not defund or demonize it”. The reference to NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is clear as Mamdani, in past, spoke in favor of defunding the NYPD and called it “racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety”. But in recent days, Mamdani distanced himself from his earlier stance on the NYPD and assured that he would not defund the police. He also publicly apologized for calling New York cops racist, wicked and corrupt. Mamdani also promised that he would retain police commissioner Jessica Tisch, but according to reports, all these did not allay the fears and an NYPD exodus is already underway. More cops will leave if Tisch is removed, according to insiders. Deputy chief John D’Adamo, the head of the Strategic Response Group, quit the day Mamdani was elected. However, he did not link it to Mamdani and told people close to him that he was ready to retire. NYPD has a uniformed headcount of 33,745 compared to 33,812 in 2024 despite hiring 2911 new cops this year, the highest since 2006.