Mayoral Frontrunner Under Fire for Past Pledge to Disband NYPD Unit Involved in Midtown Shooting Response

NEW YORK – New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing intense scrutiny following Monday’s deadly shooting in Midtown Manhattan — not for what he said in response, but for what he pledged months earlier.

Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist and state assemblyman from Queens, had previously promised to shut down the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group (SRG), a specialized unit trained to handle large-scale emergencies and protests. That very unit was among the first on the scene during the recent shooting on Park Avenue, which left four people dead, including an off-duty police officer.

In a post following the incident, Mamdani expressed sympathy for the victims and gratitude for emergency responders. But critics were quick to point to his December 2024 social media post, in which he vowed to eliminate the SRG if elected mayor, accusing the unit of excessive force and civil rights violations.

Law enforcement sources pushed back, defending the unit’s role in protecting the public. One officer said Mamdani only opposes the SRG because of their presence at protests aligned with his political supporters.

Republican leaders also weighed in. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik reposted one of Mamdani’s old “Defund the NYPD” messages, calling him “unfit to lead.”

Governor Kathy Hochul, while calling for stricter national gun laws in response to the violence, declined to directly address the controversy over Mamdani’s position.

With the general election approaching, the shooting has reignited tensions around policing and public safety — issues likely to take center stage in the weeks ahead.