Mamdani reportedly plans to disband NYPD protest unit

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is preparing to announce plans to disband the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group, fulfilling a campaign pledge to separate protest response from counterterrorism. The plan may create a civilian-led protest-response unit focused on de-escalation, with NYPD officers nearby to make arrests if needed; City Hall has considered placing it under the Office of Community Safety. The proposal was not finalized in reports, and questions remain about how the SRG’s other duties—including counterterrorism and responses to major incidents—would be handled. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has said the unit is generally deployed at protests involving criminal activity, and was available at about 6% of the 4,255 protests the NYPD facilitated in 2025. The NYPD describes the SRG as an important resource for protests, major events and other significant incidents, while Mamdani and supporters have criticized its protest tactics and misconduct record.