New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is moving forward with plans to disband the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group, a specialized unit that responds to violent protests, major emergencies and terror threats.

Mamdani had pledged during his campaign to eliminate the unit, but the plan was put on the back burner as his administration considered how to separate the SRG’s protest-response duties from its counterterrorism responsibilities. City Hall and NYPD officials have now been directed to develop a policy change, with an announcement potentially coming soon.

Calls to eliminate the unit grew after a September protest in Manhattan against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where more than 100 people were arrested. Among them was Darializa Avila Chevalier, a congressional candidate backed by Mamdani, who later called for the unit to be eliminated.

The SRG has been a target of progressive activists who object to its role in policing protests. At the same time, the unit has responsibilities beyond demonstrations, including responding to terrorist attacks, mass-casualty incidents and other major emergencies.

Mamdani has sought to fulfill his campaign promise while addressing concerns about maintaining those emergency-response capabilities. The administration is considering how the SRG’s responsibilities could be handled after the unit is disbanded, but the final structure has not yet been announced.

The debate comes as New York City continues to grapple with how police should respond to large demonstrations while maintaining a specialized force for serious emergencies.

This article was independently written by the BJL Newsroom based on reporting from the New York Post.