Murders and shootings have decreased in New York City this year. But you might not know it if you listen to the mayor of the city, Eric Adams.
In May, Mr. Adams say he has “Never seen crime of this level,” despite 488 homicides in the city last year compared with 2,262 in 1990, when he was a transit cop. Months earlier, he told reporters that he “feel unsafe” when riding the subway.
Mr. Adams regularly appeared at crime scenes, using the mayor’s podium to highlight the widespread presence of guns on city streets, and to mourn victims’ loved ones.
He even called 911 at least twice while the mayor, the first of his first day on the job, to report an “ongoing attack.” (No arrests have been made.)
Mr. Adams ran for mayor on a pledge that he would reduce the surge in violence during the pandemic. But while his frequent focus on shootings and visits to active crime scenes have attracted media attention, they may also contribute to the perception that the city is not Safety: A last month’s poll found that three-quarters of New Yorkers are “somewhat or very concerned” that they will be victims of violent crime.
His fixation on crime has also complicated the other major theme of his first year in office: guiding the city’s economic recovery from the pandemic.
Mr. Adams has spoken out encouraging workers to return to city offices and urged tourists to return – a campaign that has grown increasingly difficult as he portrays New York as a lawless city where Crime and unregulated guns.
Kathryn Wylde, president of Partnership for New York City, an influential business group, said the mayor’s message seemed inconsistent, but he was right to focus on public safety.
“The mayor’s message reflects what most New Yorkers feel, which is that we’re worried about safety, but we have absolute confidence that our city will bounce back,” she said. .
Fabien Levy, the mayor’s spokesman, said in a statement that the crime was not on a historical level, but that New Yorkers “deserve to know the truth.”
“As a result of our efforts in the first six months, both the murders and the shootings last month,” he said, “but we are honest with New Yorkers about the work left to do. and changes that still need to be made at every level of government — from attorneys and district judges to state and federal legislators. “
Mr. Adams has lived in the city his entire life, spending 22 years as a police officer, leading a group called “100 Blacks in Law Enforcement, Caretakers” and serving as senator. State Senator and later Brooklyn County President. During that time, he was known for his impromptu, unorthodox texting style.
In 1995, while serving as president of the Grand Council of Guardians, another black fraternal police group, Mr travel to Indiana escorting boxer Mike Tyson after he was released from prison for rape – a move Mr. Adams said was intends to help athletes “Turn his life around.”
As a state senator, in 2010, Mr. Adams billboards encourage young men not to wear low-rise pants, using the slogan: “Enhance your image”. Next year, he released a memorable video Encourage parents to check children’s toys and keepsakes for drugs and weapons.
Mr. Adams is certainly not the first mayor to have a challenge with texting; His predecessor, Bill de Blasio, admitted texting problemblamed his unpopularity on his failure to articulate a coherent vision.
To date, Mr. Adams has found more fault with the media for misrepresenting his views or focusing on issues that portray him in a negative light, and he and his team have pushed back the calls. Polls show his approval rating is falling.
The mayor said last month that some reporters “lack integrity in journalism” and are trying to “distort reality” – pointing to their reporting of his handcuff at Madison Square Garden.
“Report the news and don’t sensationalize because I must get a lot of clicks,” Mr. Adams said in an interview on NY1.
Mr. Adams’ inconsistent message is not limited to crime.
The mayor has argued that he is leading the nation in fighting the coronavirus, and he recently received praise from public health experts for announcing that the city will give Paxlovid, the antiretroviral, free of charge at mobile test sites. The next day, the same experts criticized Mr. Adams for quietly removed the city’s color-coded warning system that has warned New Yorkers of the increased risk from the virus.
Regarding schools, Mr. Adams said he was concerned about the approximately 150,000 families who have left the public school system in recent years, and he expansion of the city’s gifted and talented program to convince the family to stay. Then he upset the parents by reducing the school budget, cut teacher and opposed the state’s bill on the size of the lower class.
Camille Rivera, a Democratic political consultant, said Mr Adams would be better served if he chose to speak about issues that contribute to crime, such as soaring rents and budget cuts schools affect positions such as guidance counselor and art teacher.
“You can put police all over the city, but if you’re cutting funding for social service spaces, what are you really doing here?” she speaks.
Mr Levy said the mayor’s message was consistent: “He’s fully committed to making our city safer, getting us out of Covid, and investing in our youngest city.”
Mr Adams defended the school cuts on Thursday, arguing they were necessary because of lower enrollment.
The origins of violence in New York City are complex and not entirely within the mayor’s control.
Major crime is up 37% this year, fueled by an increase in robberies and major thefts including car thefts. At the same time, homicides are down by almost 8% from last year, and shootings are down by about 10%, According to police datathough both numbers are still higher than in the pre-pandemic era.
A series of violent episodes contributed to the feeling that the city was unsafe. A woman has fatally shot on the Upper East Side while pushing her infant daughter in a stroller; one 11 year old girl was killed in the Bronx when she was caught in a wave of teenage ice. One Goldman Sachs employee dies in an unprovoked shooting on the subway; and A mass shooting on the subway left at least 23 people injured in Brooklyn.
However, some have suggested that Mr. Adams’ public comments were instilling fear.
“The crime rate is nowhere near where it was 20 or 30 years ago,” said Olivia Lapeyrolerie, a political consultant who was de Blasio’s deputy press secretary. “Not giving context that he knows better than most people, is inciting unnecessary panic.”
Mr. Adams sometimes seems to recognize the need to add nuance to some of his upbeat remarks.
In May, he made it clear that the crime was not the worst thing that had ever happened, but he said he had “never seen anything like this: excessive gun availability, the ease of use of the gun and the comfort of people carrying it.” He sometimes talks about how shootings and murders have dropped this year, but those comments often get less attention than the crime scenes he visits.
The mayor was the first to admit that his ability to tackle crime would define his role as mayor. In a recent interview on NBC’s “Nightly News” with Lester Holt, Mr. Adams described himself as “unfinished” when it came to fighting crime during his first six months in office.
“I don’t succeed until every New Yorker feels safe,” he said.
