NEW YORK: Mamdani Plans to Disband NYPD Strategic Response Group
The mayor plans to separate protest response from counterterrorism duties. The timing and replacement structure remain unsettled, according to reports and a City Hall statement.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani plans to disband the NYPD Strategic Response Group and separate its protest-response duties from counterterrorism operations, according to reports Thursday and a statement from his office.
The roughly 600-officer unit responds to major events, civil disturbances and citywide mobilizations. The proposal would fulfill a campaign pledge, but the reporting reviewed for this article does not show that the unit has already been dissolved.
City Hall spokesperson Dora Pekec said the administration would disband the group and separate protest response from counterterrorism, adding that more details would follow.
Reports differ on the expected announcement date. Politico said it could come as early as this week, while Bloomberg reported that an announcement could come as soon as next week. Neither timeline is a confirmed date.
The plan could involve a civilian protest-response team supported by nearby police officers, according to a person cited in the reporting. That structure has not been finalized.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has previously said the Strategic Response Group is generally deployed at protests involving criminal activity, not routine peaceful demonstrations. She said it was available at 245 of the 4,255 protests the NYPD facilitated in 2025.
The unit has faced criticism from civil rights advocates, while police officials have defended its training and role during difficult crowd-control operations. Details of how its responsibilities would be reassigned remain to be announced.