New York City residents already wondering if they’ll make it home safely are about to discover a troubling truth about their city’s future direction (spoiler alert: it’s worse than you think). While law-abiding citizens clutch their keys between their fingers on dark streets, the incoming administration has been quietly assembling a team that seems more sympathetic to criminals than victims.

The choices being made behind closed doors reveal a radical shift—scratch that, a complete abandonment—of common sense in handling crime and punishment. What emerges is a pattern so absurd that even jaded New Yorkers might struggle to believe it. But hey, at least it’s “progressive,” right?

From ‘Daily Caller’:

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani named ex-rapper Mysonne Linen — who served seven years in state prison for armed robbery — to his transition team’s criminal legal system committee. Linen, 49, was convicted in 1999 of two Bronx taxi stickups from the late 1990s and later reinvented himself as an activist. Mamdani’s committee roster lists him (misspelled as “Mysoone”) among the appointees.

The Fox Guarding the Henhouse

This isn’t a heartwarming tale of redemption where someone who made a mistake gets a second chance at contributing to society. This is placing someone who held up taxi drivers at gunpoint—terrorizing hardworking people just trying to earn an honest living in the Bronx—in charge of reforming the very system that once held him accountable. What could possibly go wrong?

The appointment becomes even more mind-boggling when you consider Linen’s celebratory response. Taking to Instagram, he declared, “We are building something different.” Different indeed. When criminals help write the rulebook, guess who loses? (Hint: it’s not the criminals.)

Before his conviction derailed a music career with Def Jam Records, Linen was on a completely different trajectory. Now, after seven years behind bars, he’s magically transformed into an “activist” focused on gun violence prevention. The irony of an armed robber advising on gun violence? Apparently lost on Mamdani’s transition team. Or maybe they just don’t care.

A Pattern of Radical Appointments

Because apparently one radical wasn’t enough, Linen’s appointment doesn’t exist in isolation. Mamdani has already named what the Daily Caller described as a “radical cop-hating professor” to his community safety post. (Yes, that’s an actual description, not hyperbole.)

These choices reveal a systematic dismantling of traditional law enforcement. Think that’s an exaggeration? Consider this: the incoming mayor’s agenda includes a staggering $1.1 billion plan—that’s billion with a ‘B,’ people—to create a “Department of Community Safety.” This bureaucratic monstrosity would shift non-violent and mental health calls away from police to civilian teams. Because nothing says “public safety” like sending social workers to deal with unpredictable situations.

While claiming to keep NYPD headcount “roughly flat,” this massive reallocation of resources sends an unmistakable message about priorities. Namely, that actual law enforcement is now optional.

Even more outrageous are Mamdani’s plans for the jail system. He’s vowed to completely end solitary confinement and dramatically reduce jail populations. He’s also pledged to halt NYPD-led encampment sweeps, replacing them with “outreach” programs. These policies read like a criminal’s Christmas list—and now we know why.

The Real Cost to New Yorkers

While Mamdani’s team pops champagne over “building something different,” let’s spare a thought for the taxi drivers who were robbed at gunpoint by Linen. Remember them? Apparently Mamdani doesn’t. Those victims never got their sense of security back. They still flinch when someone approaches their cab too quickly. But sure, let’s put their attacker in charge of justice reform.

This represents more than just mind-boggling judgment—it’s a complete inversion of moral priorities. When criminals become the architects of criminal justice policy, victims don’t just become afterthoughts. They become obstacles to “progress.”

As New York City stands at this crossroads, the choices being made today will haunt the city for generations. The appointment of a convicted armed robber to oversee criminal justice reform isn’t just a slap in the face to his victims—it’s a five-alarm fire warning about how far America’s cities have drifted from basic sanity. When criminals write the rules, only the law-abiding lose. And in Mamdani’s New York, that’s apparently a feature, not a bug.

Key Takeaways

• NYC’s mayor-elect appointed a convicted armed robber to lead criminal justice reform
• Mysonne Linen served seven years for holding up taxi drivers at gunpoint
• This follows a pattern of anti-police appointments and billion-dollar defunding plans
• Law-abiding citizens’ safety takes backseat to criminal comfort in new administration

Sources: Daily Caller, AOL