Mayor Mamdani Launches PIT Crews to Modernize City Technology

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Chief Technology Officer Lisa Gelobter announced the launch of the Public Interest Technology (PIT) Crew, an initiative to deploy five teams of in-house technologists across New York City agencies. The crews, comprising product managers, engineers, designers, user researchers, and data experts, will operate under the Office of Technology and Innovation to develop digital tools in months rather than years, reducing the city's reliance on outside consultancies.

Four of the crews are funded by $5.24 million in city baseline funding to hire 30 full-time employees. A fifth crew is supported by a more than $2 million initial investment from The Rockefeller Foundation via the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City.

The initiative's first priority project partners with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to create an online portal for filing complaints against companies using predatory subscription traps. This portal will support the enforcement of the "Click to Cancel" rule, effective October 1, which prohibits businesses from making subscription cancellations difficult. The program seeks to improve government affordability and accessibility while restoring public trust by eliminating confusing and outdated digital portals.