Mamdani Plans to Disband NYPD Protest Unit Used at 245 of 4,255 Rallies
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Nov 12
Mamdani Plans to Disband NYPD Protest Unit Used at 245 of 4,255 Rallies
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 12
Summary
Zohran Mamdani is preparing to announce the breakup of the NYPD Strategic Response Group, with City Hall saying it will separate protest response from counterterrorism.
The move fulfills a campaign promise and follows Mamdani’s repeated argument that one unit should not handle both terror threats and First Amendment activity.
Jessica Tisch remains police commissioner despite pressure from Mamdani’s left flank after an ICE-involved Bronx shooting, even as she had said earlier talks focused on protest policing generally, not dissolving the unit.
The SRG now handles protests, civil disorder, major events and some crime-response deployments; Tisch said it was present at 245 of 4,255 protests in 2025, about 6%.
Politico reported the plan could be formalized by executive order and may shift SRG functions into Mamdani’s new Office of Community Safety, raising questions about how the unit’s duties would be replaced.