# Oversight - The Office of Community Safety (10/30/2026)

The New York City Council’s joint Public Safety and Government Operations, State and Federal Legislation oversight hearing on the Office of Community Safety (OCS), held October 30, 2026, examined the office’s budget, staffing, programs, and plans to coordinate five existing mayoral offices. OCS reported a FY2027 budget of about $271 million, including $67 million in additional administration investment; officials cited $14.8 million in added funding for community violence prevention and $15.7 million for domestic and gender-based violence services. BeHERD, the city’s behavioral-health 911 response program, has a $35.3 million budget and responded to 8,524 of 10,945 eligible calls last fiscal year; it operates 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Officials said expansion, staffing, outcome tracking, and development of OCS into a standalone department remain priorities. Intro 403, which would establish a Department of Community Safety, and Intro 414, concerning a gun-violence intervention hotline, were discussed; no votes were taken.

Procurement-related discussion centered on the transition of community violence intervention system (CMS) contract administration from DYCD to OCS. Officials said they are building the staffing and operational capacity needed to manage contracts without disrupting provider funding, and are working on a new RFP as the current contract approaches expiration. Council members and providers raised concerns about delayed payments, contract management, provider resources, and independent verification of program outcomes. The hearing also included public testimony urging sustained investment in community-based providers and survivor services, and greater community participation in designing OCS and the proposed department.

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

### Sources
- [Oversight - The Office of Community Safety (10/30/2026)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhdIjvFCQZw) - New York City Council