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Spooked NYC mayor scrambles to resurrect anti-police task force as city elects hyper-woke congresswoman who wants to abolish NYPD altogether
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is reportedly reconsidering plans for the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group (SRG), a specialist unit that handles counter-terrorism and mass-casualty incidents as well as protests. The review follows the election of his ally Darializa Avila Chevalier to Congress; she has called for the unit to be disbanded, putting pressure on Mamdani to revisit a policy he had set aside.
Sources cited in the article say City Hall discussions have resumed and an announcement could come soon, with a change possible as early as next week. Disbanding the SRG could leave the city without a dedicated terror or mass-casualty unit, while retaining it risks criticism from the mayor’s Democratic Socialist allies. The unit has reportedly responded to just over a dozen protests and made fewer than 10 arrests, including Chevalier and City Council member Chi Osse.
In short
- Mamdani is reportedly reviewing the future of the NYPD’s SRG.
- Ally Darializa Avila Chevalier has called for the unit to be disbanded.
- Removing it could leave New York without a specialist terror response unit.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Disbanding or restructuring the SRG could address concerns that a unit tasked with protest response has been used in ways that chill lawful dissent or lead to disproportionate policing. Supporters may argue that its protest duties should be handled by less specialised teams, with clearer limits and accountability, while counter-terrorism and mass-casualty response are assigned elsewhere.
The case against
Keeping the SRG, or preserving its emergency functions in a reformed unit, could ensure the city has trained personnel ready for rare but high-consequence terrorist attacks and mass-casualty events. Supporters of retention may argue that its limited reported role in protest arrests does not outweigh that capability, and that changes should preserve emergency readiness while addressing concerns about protest policing.