NYPD to follow detailed escalation guidelines in responding to political protests

Rather than rush cops from all corners to burgeoning political protests, the NYPD will now have to follow a detailed escalation plan dependent on the numbers and actions of demonstrators, according to a 2024 settlement agreement coming into effect.

Under the complex, four-tier model, which takes six pages to explain in the 42-page settlement agreement , the NYPD has to incrementally send cops to protests, dubbed “First Amendment Activity.”

One element requires police to “accommodate” protesters when they block vehicular or pedestrian traffic unless “critical infrastructure,” like a highway or access to a hospital, is being blocked.

The use of officers from the Strategic Response Group — cops with special protest training, some of whom have been accused of violence at rallies — i