New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdadi is set to unveil a plan to dissolve the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group (SRG). The proposal fulfills a campaign promise to separate the unit’s protest‑response role from its counterterrorism mission.
Background on the SRG
The SRG was created a little over a decade ago to address terrorist threats and major public‑safety incidents. Over time, the unit has also been tasked with responding to protests and civil disturbances. According to the NYPD, the SRG is a “critical asset” during parades, demonstrations, the papal visit, and other large‑scale events, and it is also deployed for shootings, bank robberies, missing‑person cases, and other significant incidents.
Mayor’s rationale
Mayor Mamdadi told reporters in September, “I’ve been clear that my vision is for the disbanding of the SRG. The unit was created with an intention first of dealing with threats, terroristic threats to the city. What it has eventually become is both dealing with counterterrorism and responses to exercising First Amendment rights. I do not believe those purposes need to be dual purposes.” He emphasized that counterterrorism should remain a focused, specialized function, while protest response should be handled by a civilian‑led office.
City Council hearing
During a March City Council budget hearing, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said discussions with the mayor concerned “the future of how we police protests generally,” not an outright disbanding. Tisch noted that the SRG typically does not handle peaceful protests, but is deployed when protests involve criminal activity. She cited 2025 data showing the NYPD facilitated 4,255 protests, with the SRG present at 245 of them – roughly six percent.
Proposed structure
Sources familiar with the plan told Politico that City Hall is considering placing the SRG under the newly created Office of Community Safety, which launched earlier this year. The office would oversee protest‑related duties, while the NYPD retains the SRG’s counterterrorism capabilities. The mayor’s team indicated the change could be formalized through an executive order.
Administration response
Spokesperson Dora Pekec confirmed to Politico, “As the Mayor has said, our administration will disband the Strategic Response Group and separate protest response from counterterrorism. We will have more to share soon.” Fox News Digital reached out to the NYPD for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Implications for the city
If enacted, the restructuring would shift protest‑related policing to a civilian‑focused office, potentially increasing transparency and community oversight. Supporters argue this aligns law‑enforcement resources with their core mission of protecting the city from terror threats, while critics worry about the capacity to manage large‑scale demonstrations without the SRG’s specialized training.
The proposal reflects ongoing debates in New York City about the balance between public safety, civil liberties, and effective policing. The mayor’s office is expected to release further details in the coming weeks.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
