NYC Mayor Mamdani ousts sheriff, names NYPD critic as replacement

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Mayor Zohran Mamdani has removed New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda and appointed former NYPD Lt. Edwin Raymond, a noted critic of the police department, to the position.

Mamdani announced the appointment on Friday, stating that Raymond exemplifies the qualities required to lead a city agency.

“Edwin Raymond represents the kind of public servant New Yorkers deserve: principled, courageous and deeply committed to justice,” Mamdani said. “Throughout his career, he has fought to build a public safety system rooted in effectiveness, accountability and public trust.”

Raymond, who retired from the NYPD in 2023 after 15 years with the department, most recently served as the nation’s first social justice liaison in the New York State Attorney General’s Office. He previously served as commanding officer of Brooklyn North Community Affairs and as a platoon commander in the 83rd and 81st precincts, both in Brooklyn. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

In 2015, he and multiple other officers filed a lawsuit that accused the NYPD of using arrest quotas that disproportionately affected Black and Latino men.

Raymond said he looks forward to applying his experience to the role, which serves as an officer of the court under the Department of Finance.

“Growing up in East Flatbush as the son of Haitian immigrants, I experienced both the public safety challenges facing working-class communities and the inequities that too often undermine trust in government,” he said. “Choosing a career in public service was my response to those realities.”

The sheriff typically oversees legal processes including judiciary law, civil practice law and real property actions. Responsibilities include seizures of money and property pursuant to warrants and court orders, as well as enforcing mental hygiene warrants, tax laws and laws related to unlicensed cannabis enforcement.

Mamdani has not provided a reason for removing Miranda, who was appointed in 2022 by former Mayor Eric Adams. Miranda was previously investigated by the Department of Investigation regarding enforcement actions targeting unlicensed smoke shops and the seizure of cash during those operations.