Zohran Mamdani is reportedly reconsidering his stance on the NYPD’s controversial Strategic Response Group, or SRG.
The review comes as his far-left ally Darializa Avila Chevalier prepares to enter Congress after a decisive victory in New York’s 13th Congressional District. Chevalier previously argued that the police force should be abolished altogether.
Mamdani endorsed Chevalier in May, and the pair initially appeared aligned in their views on counterterrorism and the future of the protest unit. However, the mayor’s team later delayed action on the issue.
Sources told the New York Post that Mamdani’s team is now seeking to repair relations with the representative-elect by renewing efforts to limit the SRG. The reported shift would reverse an earlier decision to place the proposal “on the back burner.”
Chevalier has been one of the SRG’s most outspoken critics. Last month, the unit arrested her during a demonstration outside the United Nations while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in New York. The Times of Israel reported that she received a court summons for alleged disorderly conduct and was released. In a social media post, Chevalier wrote: “I refuse to allow a war criminal to roam the streets of our city unchallenged.”
Mamdani has also condemned the SRG, although the NYPD cannot deploy the unit without approval from City Hall.
“I’ve been clear that my vision is for the disbanding of the SRG,” the liberal mayor told reporters.
Yet sources previously told the Post that Mamdani’s plan to abolish the unit had been shelved after discussions earlier this year showed that implementing the change would be politically difficult. The proposal was reportedly “not really a priority.”
Zohran Mamdani is reportedly reassessing his position on the NYPD’s controversial Strategic Response Group, which has become a source of tension with his far-left ally Darializa Avila Chevalier
Chevalier celebrated her landslide victory Tuesday night in New York’s 13th Congressional District
The Post reported that the mayor’s team is now reviewing its policy in what appears to be a change of direction.
Sources said a complete disbandment would be difficult because it could leave New York without a dedicated terror or mass-casualty response unit. At the same time, failing to act could disappoint Mamdani’s fellow Democratic Socialists.
Earlier this year, Mamdani’s team was reportedly angered by Chevalier’s calls for Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to be fired. The Post reported that officials viewed her comments as a direct attempt to undermine the mayor.
“They were pissed about what she did on social media and her public rhetoric on NYPD,” a source said. “City Hall was like: ‘What the f**k are you doing!’”
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A source told the outlet that City Hall is preparing to announce its plans for the NYPD unit “pretty soon.” Discussions have reportedly resumed in recent days.
The sources said a policy change could be announced as early as next week. Chevalier and City Councilman Chi Osse, another SRG opponent, have reportedly been seen at City Hall in recent days.
The SRG remains a divisive issue on the left. Critics argue that the unit has no place in New York, while supporters warn that residents could be left exposed during a terror attack or other mass-casualty event without it.
Chevalier was arrested last month during a demonstration outside the UN, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking
The unit has so far responded to slightly more than a dozen protests and made fewer than 10 arrests, including those of Chevalier and Osse, according to the Post.
The Daily Mail has contacted Mamdani’s office and Chevalier for comment.
Chevalier secured a landslide victory Tuesday in New York’s 13th Congressional District, which includes Harlem and the Bronx.
The Democratic Socialist and activist has faced scrutiny over a series of past statements and positions, including her call for the United States to abolish all border enforcement.
She has since sought to distance herself from some of her most extreme views. In 2021, she said that “a world without borders, just like a world without prisons or police, is possible, necessary, and the only moral way forward.”
That comment was among dozens of inflammatory social media posts Chevalier deleted after beginning her campaign.
Chevalier won Tuesday’s election with 87.5 percent of the vote, defeating Republican challenger Jomo Williams, who received 11.4 percent.
Her victory followed wins by fellow far-left candidates Claire Valdez and Brad Lander, who also captured House seats in New York City, signaling a broader shift to the left in the city.
Wearing a Palestine-inspired keffiyeh around her neck, Chevalier celebrated at a Harlem tavern as supporters chanted her name.
She is now set to become one of Congress’s most prominent socialists. Four other candidates linked to the Democratic Socialists of America also won House seats in the midterms.