# 🔴 LIVE: Oversight - The Office of Community Safety

The New York City Council’s Public Safety and Government Operations committees held an oversight hearing on the Office of Community Safety (OCS) on October 30, 2026. Officials described OCS, established by executive order in March 2026, as coordinating five existing offices covering neighborhood safety, community mental health, domestic and gender-based violence, hate-crime prevention, and crime-victim services. The administration reported an overall OCS budget of about $271 million and cited additional investments, including $15.7 million for domestic- and gender-based-violence services, $26 million for hate-violence prevention, and $14.8 million for neighborhood-safety programs. PATH funding was doubled to $6.4 million. Officials also reported $530,000 invested in community projects through participatory budgeting. No contracts or bids were awarded, and no spending votes were taken; community organizations and council members urged sustained, flexible funding, fair and timely payments to providers, and stronger accountability for publicly funded programs.

Council members questioned staffing vacancies, the cost and administrative structure of a proposed permanent Department of Community Safety, coordination with NYPD and other agencies, and how OCS will measure outcomes. Introduction 403, which would establish the department in law, and Introduction 414, proposing a three-digit gun-violence intervention hotline, were discussed but not voted on. The administration supported the intent of the hotline proposal while noting that federal authorization would be required and suggesting that existing services such as 988 and the NYC Hope hotline could be used. Officials highlighted the Be Heard behavioral-health response program, which answered 8,524 calls in FY2026, with 42% of those served receiving care in the community rather than hospital transport. Public testimony broadly called for expanded community-based prevention and youth mental-health services, while raising concerns about school policing, surveillance, and the proposed department’s design.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety, Healthcare
**Topics:** Emergency Response, Grants & Funding
**Published:** October 30, 2026

### Sources
- [🔴 LIVE: Oversight - The Office of Community Safety](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnIcfhT4eXg) - New York City Council