NYC cops, sanitation workers told to stop taking down homeless encampments as crisis spirals

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration ordered city cops and sanitation workers to stop tearing down homeless encampments just weeks before 10 people were found dead outdoors during the Arctic deep freeze, The Post has learned.

The order, which came shortly after the democratic socialist took office, left responsibility with the camps for the ill-equipped Department of Homeless services who were caught flatfooted for the task with little guidance from the administration, sources revealed Wednesday.

The massive shift in city policy under the fledgling mayor, who vowed to end homeless sweeps in December, came ahead of the deadly cold snap and a massive snow storm that walloped the Big Apple.

NYC cops and sanitation employees have been ordered to stop tearing down homeless encampments. Helayne Seidman for the NY Post

Former Mayor Eric Adam had ramped up the use of sweeps during his tenure after it became a growing issue during the COVID pandemic shutdown – but the tool has been used by the last few mayors, including Mamdani’s favorite city leader, Bill de Blasio.

Insiders said the NYPD has been ordered only to respond and document the location of encampments in the Big Apple — and not to touch anything that resembles someone’s personal property.

Under Mamdani, cops are only allowed to help if someone in the tent has a medical emergency.

Even if there are safety issues that could put someone’s life at risk, officers on the ground have been told they need to run the concern up the chain of command to a supervisor, sources said.

Workers in the Department of Sanitation have also been ordered not to touch any encampments.

Following last weekend’s Winter Storm Fern, 10 individuals were found dead, frozen to death outside.

Instead, cops and other city workers were told to notify Homeless Services workers.

But City Hall has yet to hand down any guidelines to the agency on how to deal with the makeshift living arrangements.

“The lack of guidance from City Hall is costing people their lives,” said Council member Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), whose office confirmed having no luck clearing an empty encampment.

“We have below-zero temperatures at night, but the administration is taking a smiley, milquetoast approach to Code Blue enforcement,” Ariola said. “It may sound nice to his idealist progressive supporters when he says he won’t enforce homeless sweeps, but the reality is that these sweeps get people indoors and out of the elements. Some people need that kind of tough love for their own good.”

Calls to the NYPD, DSNY and City Hall were not immediately returned.