NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign promise to change how the city polices its residents is facing a test: nine months into his term, several controversial NYPD practices remain, and criminal justice advocates are questioning the pace of change. Mamdani, who took office in January, kept Jessica Tisch as police commissioner. Tisch was appointed by former Mayor Eric Adams, and Mamdani has largely allowed her to run the department on her own terms, frustrating advocates who anticipated a more fundamental shift in policing. The NYPD continues to use a DNA database in criminal investigations. The administration is also seeking to expand a camera program in public housing. Tenants have sued over the surveillance system, arguing it threatens their privacy. Six people have died in NYPD custody this year, including some held on low-level charges. The deaths have renewed concerns about medical care for people in custody. Meanwhile, police continue to arrest sex workers, despite Mamdani’s stated support for decriminalization. The city’s Law Department is also fighting a lawsuit alleging that the NYPD used sealed court records of minors in criminal investigations. The department denies the allegations. The disputes highlight the distance between the mayor’s campaign pledge and the department’s current practices. For residents, the debate reaches beyond City Hall: it concerns how police use personal data and surveillance, how people are treated in custody, and whether low-level conduct should lead to arrest.