Mamdani prepares to fulfill promise to axe NYPD unit responsible for controlling protest violence
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is reportedly preparing to announce his plan to disband the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group (SRG), fulfilling a long-held campaign promise that has led to mounting pressure from his base, as well as questions about how the group's duties will be replaced.
Key points
- MAMDANI IN HOT SEAT OVER POST MOURNING DEATH OF INMATE CHARGED WITH CALLOUS CRIME: 'ABSOLUTELTY SHAMEFUL' The NYPD says the SRG responds to citywide mobilizations, civil disorders and major events and is a "critical asset" during parades, protests and the papal visit.
- And the reason for that vision is that the SRG were created a little more than a decade ago with an intention first of dealing with threats, terroristic threats to the city," Mamdani said during a press conference in September.
- "As the Mayor has said, our administration will disband the Strategic Response Group and separate protest response from counterterrorism," spokesperson Dora Pekec told Politico.
Additional details
- MAMDANI CLASHES WITH DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS' PUSH TO ABOLISH POLICE AND PRISONS "I've been clear that my vision is for the disbanding of the SRG.
- SRG personnel are "also deployed to areas requiring an increased police presence due to increased crime or other conditions" and "mobilizes for shootings, bank robberies, missing persons, demonstrations, or other significant incidents," according to the department.
- She also noted that in 2025 the NYPD facilitated 4,255 protests and the SRG was available at 245 of them, or roughly 6%.
- Tisch added during the March City Council budget hearing that the SRG does not typically deal with peaceful protests, but is deployed for protests that involve criminal activity.
- Sources familiar with the plan told Politico that City Hall has been contemplating putting the SRG under Mamdani's new Office of Community Safety, launched earlier this year.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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