NYC NOW Inside the NYPD Unit Mayor Zohran Mamdani Wants to Dismantle
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Feb 5, 2026 Ben Feuerherd, WNYC and Gothamist reporter who covers policing and local policy, gives a clear primer on the NYPD Strategic Response Group. He traces its origin as a counterterror unit and its shift into protest policing. He discusses controversies over weaponry, shortened training, and recent deployments at anti‑ICE demonstrations.
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Dual Mission Created A Core Tension
- The Strategic Response Group (SRG) was created in 2015 to fill gaps for mass-casualty and counterterrorism responses while also being tasked to facilitate protests.
- That dual mission created an inherent conflict between heavy-weapons readiness and policing First Amendment activity.
Weapons Training Versus Protest Optics
- Founders opposed arming SRG with heavy weapons and warned of bad optics at protests.
- The public feared weaponized policing because officials didn't clearly explain how weapons would be used.
Protests Shifted SRG's Public Role
- SRG became associated with protest policing amid nationwide unrest after police killings and the 2020 demonstrations.
- That association intensified scrutiny, lawsuits, and calls for limits on SRG deployments.