New York, New York - New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has created a new office to tackle deed theft after Councilmember Chi Ossé's arrest at an anti-eviction protest earlier this week.

Mamdani, Ossé, and others gathered at the Brooklyn Bank on Friday to celebrate the launch of the Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention, to be led by Access Justice Brooklyn attorney Peter White.

Deed theft is a form of fraud that disparately impacts Black and brown New Yorkers in which homeownership is illegally transferred without consent.

"I know in the past, City government has too often stood idly by while deed theft occurs rather than acting to prevent it. With Peter's leadership, we are bringing that era to an end. And we are ensuring that City government is doing its part to protect vulnerable homeowners," Mamdani said in a press conference.

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White said the new office will have three primary focus areas: deed fraud identification, prevention, and correction and remediation.

"I understand that deed theft is amorphous, pernicious and consistent in many working-class communities and neighborhoods of color in New York City," White acknowledged.

"Scam prevention already has an ecosystem of outstanding attorneys and housing professionals that have assisted homeowners in their times of need. This office will serve to help coordinate and leverage those efforts."

The establishment of the new office comes after Ossé was arrested on Wednesday while joining protesters attempting to block a court-ordered eviction of one of his constituents, Carmella Charrington, whose family has lived in their Bed-Stuy brownstone home for decades.

Video on social media shows NYPD officers throwing Ossé to the ground and handcuffing him as he was taking a stand against what he described as a case of deed theft and Black displacement in the district.

Ossé said in a video message on X that he had received a concussion as a result of his violent treatment by the NYPD.

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"I'm sure you remember the countless phone calls and texts I had with you and your team on the campaign trail about the Office to Prevent Deed Theft, and today that promise is being fulfilled," Ossé told Mamdani during Friday's press conference.

"There are many, many leaders who would rather not spend their political capital on something as complex as deed theft. But Mayor Mamdani, you and I both know that complexity is not an excuse for inaction."

"Complexity is a reason to pay attention and to use every lever of power we can to support those facing life and death decisions. And today we are doing exactly that."