New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani still believes the city should disband the NYPD Strategic Response Group — a group that responds to citywide protests and that critics say is too militaristic. “I continue to believe we need to disband the SRG, and I’m currently in conversations with the police commissioner in ways we can do so that are operational,” Mamdani said during Wednesday’s press conference. According to Mamdani, the group should not be responsible for responding to protests, going on to say: “I believe that we should do so not on the basis of any fiscal need, but frankly on the need to decouple the counterterrorism responsibilities within the department from police response to First Amendment exercise.” The SRG, according to the NYPD, “responds to citywide mobilizations, civil disorders, and major events with highly trained personnel and specialized equipment. They are also deployed to areas requiring an increased police presence due to increased crime or other conditions.” However, the SRG has been a polarizing entity within the city’s police force — facing accusations of being too violent and too militaristic especially when it comes to crowd control during protests. In 2020, they were accused of unlawfully detaining over 100 demonstrators during the George Floyd protests. A legal settlement was announced in 2023 as reparations related to these detainments. The City Council’s Public Safety Committee has even held a hearing about the Strategic Response Group in 2023. However, the SRG was a no-show. In a response at the time, they said that they couldn’t attend due to ongoing litigation,” but did submit written testimony, which said, in part, that the “SRG is comprised of highly trained, well-vetted and professional police officers.” “These officers are called upon in some of the most stressful, dangerous and chaotic situations, such as the protests and riots that occurred during the summer of 2020,” that written testimony statement said. The NYPD was asked for comment regarding the mayor’s statements. The department alluded to the protest that took place Tuesday night against the Trump administration’s immigration policies at the Hilton Garden Inn lobby in Tribeca where “64 individuals were issued summonses for trespassing and disorderly conduct. Two individuals were issued desk appearance tickets for resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration.” The NYPD pointed to Tuesday’s statement from the Mayor’s Office that said in part: “The mayor is also pleased with the NYPD’s response to the protest and that today’s demonstration concluded without violence.” The SRG was part of Tuesday’s NYPD response to the protest. ...read more read less