The New York Police Department (NYPD) changed how it counts antisemitic crimes over the weekend under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, lowering reported figures for February after a sharp spike in January. Anti-Jewish incidents had jumped 182% in Mamdani’s first month in office, with 31 reports compared to 11 the year prior.

Under the new system, incidents are only counted after being investigated and confirmed as hate crimes by the department’s task force. That shift immediately reduced the official total, with February recording 21 antisemitic crimes, 10 fewer than in January. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch defended the move, saying, “In my opinion, what we should be reporting on is confirmed instances of hate crimes.”

The change has also reshaped the broader trend. As of mid-March, police reported 69 antisemitic crimes for the year compared to 58 during the same period last year, a 19% increase that appears far less dramatic than January’s spike. By excluding unconfirmed complaints, the new method presents a more limited picture of reported incidents.

Critics say the revised approach obscures the scale of the problem. “We’re all watching the manufacturing of propaganda in real time,” said Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz. Former NYPD detective Michael Alcazar added, “It’s textbook fudging the numbers,” warning the shift makes it appear authorities are addressing hate crimes without full transparency.

Without full complaint data, the true scope of antisemitic incidents remains unclear.