Subway Surfing Real Danger, NYPD Graduation Ceremony, Do Your Part To Conserve Water During Drought, Hotel Safety Bill Intro 0991C, President Trump’s Election: Mayor Adams Updates

Subway Surfing Real Danger, NYPD Graduation Ceremony, Water Conservation During Drought, Hotel Safety Bill Intro 0991C, NY’s propositions, Presidential election 

Editor’s note: New Yorkers can learn more about Proposition 1 here

Regarding the water shortage described below, Mayor Adams said: “This October, we experienced the second-longest rainless streak in recorded history. So today, NYC is issuing a drought watch, effective immediately. I have ordered city agencies to update water conservation plans. And now, we’re asking New Yorkers to do their part as well.”

MAYOR ADAMS URGES NEW YORKERS TO CALL 911 TO COMBAT SUBWAY SURFING, HIGHLIGHTS LIFE-SAVING TECH

 

Based on Calls from Concerned Citizens, NYPD Drone Teams Have Saved More Than 100 New Yorkers’ Lives in Last 12 Months

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Interim Commissioner Thomas G. Donlon, and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos  urged New Yorkers to call 911 if they see attempts at subway surfing, and highlighted the administration’s efforts to leverage technology to combat the dangerous trend on the heels of a recent tragic incident that claimed one young New Yorker’s life and injured another. To help save lives, NYPD is utilizing 911 call data to deploy joint drone and field response teams of officers to areas experiencing the highest complaints of subway surfing. Using the most accurate information —calls by concerned citizens — these teams deploy drones to canvass moving trains for subway surfers. Once a subway surfer is found, a field team will hold the train at the next station and remove them. To date, this program has helped save the lives of 114 individuals — ranging from nine years old to 33 years old, and the average age being 14 years old. 

“Subway surfing is a deadly trap, one that is endangering more and more young people who see others doing it on social media,” said Mayor Adams. “But those five minutes of online fame could lead to years of regret and pain, or a lifetime of trauma and heartbreak for a family that loses a child. Think about what riding on top of trains really means: the possibility of death and your family, in grief, wondering what more they could have done to protect you. Subway surfing kills — ride inside, stay alive.” 

“There is nothing more heartbreaking than the death of a child, especially to such a needless tragedy,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker. “We are going to continue to do everything in our power to prevent these deaths, but we need help. We need every single parent, caretaker, and role model to impress upon the young people in your life that no thrill and no social media attention is worth dying for. And we especially need young people to speak up to their friends before it’s too late. Together, we can and will put an end to this.”

“Riding outside or on top of a moving train is extremely dangerous, it is illegal, and it has repeatedly proven to be lethal,” said NYPD Interim Commissioner Thomas G. Donlon. “The NYPD will continue to do everything possible to stop this reckless behavior — but it starts with sound decision-making. Our message to New York City’s young people is clear: There is nothing cool about senselessly losing your life. Be smart, be safe, and always ride inside the train.”

“Let us be clear: subway surfing is not a harmless thrill. When children engage in subway surfing, they die. Every loss of a young life to this extremely dangerous activity rips a hole in our city and in our communities, and leaves only grief for the loved ones left behind,” said Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos.

“New York City Public Schools is united with our partners across city and state government in the effort to ensure every child understands the genuine dangers of riding outside of the train. A moment’s adventure is not worth your limbs, your life, or your future. It’s crucial that our children understand that the choice of a moment is a decision that they may never have the opportunity to take back. We believe the voices of our students are our best and most effective communicators, which is why we partnered with the young creative minds of our classrooms in developing the original ‘Subway Surfing Kills: Ride Inside, Stay Alive’ campaign — created by students, for students — which we’ve backed up with trainings alongside the MTA directly in our schools in hot spot areas. New York City Public Schools is committed to getting this simple truth out to our students: subway surfing kills.”

In addition to the increased enforcement, New York City is continuing to highlight the “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” campaign launched by Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority in September 2023.

This comprehensive, multi-channel public information campaign in partnership with the New York City Public Schools, the NYPD, and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development was designed for and was created by New York City teenagers — putting the youth voice front and center in a peer-to-peer effort to deter this dangerous behavior among young people. The campaign’s electronic fliers were disseminated at all 1,800 New York City Public Schools locations. Additionally, anti-subway surfing posters and palm cards were distributed to schools in proximity to the J, M, Z, and 7 train lines, which garner the most subway surfing complaints.

“Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” includes public service announcements in stations recorded by students; digital signage across stations; student-created graphics and animations; posters and banners across stations and distributed in schools; physical palm cards distributed at schools and in stations; school swag including planners, pens and pencils, notepads, and sticky notes; social media posts across platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube in the form of posts, reels/shorts, and influencer collaborations; distribution of new student MetroCards accompanied by a “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” palm cards; and anti-surfing messages on the back of some MetroCards for sale in subway station MetroCard vending machines. Meta, Google, and TikTok also made space available on their platforms to help amplify the new messaging campaign. Through a partnership with New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s office, Google also made space available for the campaign to play on YouTube.

In February, Mayor Adams also announced a lawsuit against social media companies for the negative impacts they have had on young people.  The lawsuit cited subway surfing as one of the examples. The lawsuit — filed in California Superior Court by the City of New York, the DOE (the largest school district in the nation), and NYC Health + Hospitals (the country’s largest public hospital system) — seeks to hold the companies operating TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube accountable for their role in creating the youth mental health crisis in New York City. The lawsuit alleges that companies intentionally designed their platforms to manipulate and addict children and teens to social media applications.

“Under Mayor Adams, we have engaged in unprecedented work to protect our children from the pitfalls of social media,” said State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar.  “In Albany I helped pass the SAFE for Kids Act to end addictive feeds that lure in children, and we filed a historic lawsuit against social media companies for the health threat they pose. Subway surfing is one of the most tragic and vivid examples of social media’s hazards. This disturbing social media trend has taken the lives of at least six people in 2024 alone. Our new life-saving tech intervention is cracking down on this dangerous activity happening every day. Utilizing 911 data, we are deploying field teams and drones to catch subway surfers before they are killed or critically injured—already saving 106 people from unspeakable tragedy. Together, we will end toxicity on social media and make subway surfing history.”

“Subway surfing is not just a reckless stunt; it poses a real danger to our communities, and has tragically resulted in the senseless deaths of New Yorkers,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.  “We must prioritize the safety of all riders and work together to put an end to this dangerous trend. The NYPD’s use of 911 call data to deploy drone and field response teams to areas with high reports of subway surfing is a crucial step in addressing this issue. We need every New Yorker to help us combat this dangerous behavior and ensure our subway system is safe for everyone.”

“Subway surfing, fueled by social media, has led to innumerable tragedies that have stolen far too many of our young people just entering the prime of their lives,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “I commend any effort to protect young people by stopping them from engaging in this extraordinarily dangerous trend, and I look forward to working with our partners in education and law enforcement to combat this crisis.”

“Views on social media are not worth losing your precious life. Six young people have tragically died from subway surfing in 2024, including a 13-year-old girl on the 7 train earlier this week. The city must invest in more after school programs that give young people an engaging safe space and an outlet to grow their interests outside of the classroom,” said New York City Councilmember Julie Won. “In 2023, five young people died from subway surfing, and these deaths continue to increase every year. Last year I wrote a letter to the MTA New York City Transit urging them to take immediate action to prevent subway surfing, including locking train doors. As a mother of two young kids, I urge the state to revisit this request to protect our children and prevent future fatalities from subway surfing.”

View the video of this conference below:

TRANSCRIPT: MAYOR ADAMS URGES NEW YORKERS TO CALL 911 TO COMBAT SUBWAY SURFING, HIGHLIGHTS LIFE-SAVING TECH

 

Deputy Mayor Chauncey Parker, Public Safety: Good afternoon everyone, I am Chauncey Parker, I’m the deputy mayor of Public Safety for Mayor Adams and his team, we are joined here today with Mayor Adams, Police Commissioner Tom Donlon, New York City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos and NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry, NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta, and also Norma Nazario, who unfortunately knows first hand the heartbreaking loss of a child and through bravery and courage is going to say a few words today. We are also joined by Councilmember Rita Joseph, the education chair, and Councilmember Julie Won. 

We are here today in the wake of two tragedies. Two children, 13 years old, recently, who died riding on top of a subway car. These deaths are heartbreaking. These deaths are preventable. The mayor’s North Star for New York City is to keep people safe, especially, above all people, young people. And today is the mayor’s call, not really a call, it’s a cry for action, to everyone, to all New Yorkers, to spread the word, to talk to family members, educators, any community members, but to spread the word to young people across the city that this activity of riding on top of subways is so dangerous, it’s the most dangerous thing they can do, and we have to stop it. But the mayor’s North Star is that we can accomplish anything if we work together. If we work together, we can save lives. And with that, it’s my great honor to introduce the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you, thank you so much. You know, this is, we introduce everyone that’s here, but one thing, I want to include in that introduction, and that’s the young people behind us, because it is all about how this experience traumatized not only families, family members. Because I think sometimes when we think about this incident, if someone were to tell me that my son, while he was in school, was subway surfing, the visual in my mind would be, well, you know, children would be children. No, this is what we’re talking about. This is subway surfing. 

It sounds harmless, but it is not harmless. That train that we hear behind you is filled with steel, metal. The third rail is extremely dangerous. Being on top, if you fall, even if the train is not moving, you have the potential of slipping through the cracks of the train, just a fall is harmful. And when you deal with the elevated platform, like the 7 Line, which is one of the most frequent subway surfing locations, you are actually elevating the level of threat and potential death. This is real. This is just not having fun. It can be fatal. And that’s why we’re here today. And I’m happy to have the young people who are here, as well, because they are going to be the ambassadors to end subway surfing, because it’s their colleagues and friends. 

And when we came together to do the PSA announcement, we leaned towards them, because they know how to communicate on social media, which is one of the top culprits in this crisis that we’re facing on subway surfing. Because we didn’t know anything about, as a young person growing up in South Jamaica, Queens, we knew nothing about likes. We knew nothing about someone clicking on our photos or pictures. We walked around with a Polaroid, and we were lucky if 13 people saw it. Now you have 30 million people watching your likes. That becomes intoxicating. And it’s an adrenaline rush. And then you compete to see who can do something more dangerous on top of the train in the process. And that’s why we have changed the dynamic, and we have met this threat head on. 

As a former transit police officer in 1984, when I became a police officer, there was a one-dimensional approach to patrolling our subway system, and that was on the ground. You had no understanding of what was happening on top of the train, and in fact, I didn’t even know what the top of the train looked like. But now, with the introduction of drones, and with Commissioner Daughtry, the deputy commissioner of Operations, and the police commissioner, what we have done, we have changed the dynamics, and we’ve become more proactive by allowing the drone operation to be incorporated in the heavily-used train lines where subway surfing is taking place. 

It’s a combination of the patrol force on the ground, it’s a combination of our team at One Police Plaza that’s monitoring these lines based on 311 and 911 data, and it’s a combination of everyday New Yorkers who see this taking place and report it to us, and then it’s the young people who are part of the PSAs that we’re putting together. So what does it look like based on our analysis? 900 flights, 900 flights, and these flights are pennies on the dollars. This is an inexpensive way of handling the expense of losing a loved one or child. Out of those 900 flights, we had 114 lives we saved because our drones identified the individuals and young people while they were on the train. 

Here’s a number that’s startling. The average age is 14. We have young people as young as 9, and as old as 33. Can you imagine a 9-year-old on top of that train? And the young people we’ve lost, look at the ages of these young people. And so last year when the governor and I and New York City Public Schools, when we made the announcement of really focusing on having our law enforcement officers go into the homes of those who are caught subway surfing and making sure that we communicate with the family members in a real way, we know how important it is.

From 2021 to 2022, we had a 366 percent increase in subway surfing, and it’s solely connected to the social media aspect of this. So we’re going after the social media companies and social media platforms to state they have an obligation not to put profit over public safety. And this is so important, what we’re doing. We’re going to continue to partner with the schools chancellor and her team so we can zero in on this major issue that we’re facing. 

You can’t lose young people in this magnitude. And oftentimes when we go to parents, Commissioner Daughtry was sharing with me earlier today, when we go to parents and we say their children are subway surfing, they say, no, it can’t be my child. It’s not possible. This has not happened. We all believe our children are angels. That is what a parent is about. But when we showed them the video, when we showed them these photos, when we showed them how dangerous it is that their child is on top of the train, it has a major impact. And so I want to thank all of our partners, the NYPD, the chancellor of New York City Public Schools, deputy mayor, public safety, the entire team, but most importantly, I want to thank the young people who are here. They can stop this by using their voice, the power of our youth, and going after social media and calling for a change. 

We saw the power of our young people yesterday when we announced December 23rd being the day off for our young people. It was simply because a young person wrote a letter and said, can we look into this? So their voices matter and it matters here to tell their loved ones, their colleagues, their schoolmate, subway surfing is not a game. It is a dangerous, dangerous encounter, and we lost young people from this last week. One young person was a friend, her and her classmate were subway surfing. One lost her life, the other is in critical condition. This is not what it’s like. Parents don’t want to have to experience this and our goal is to eradicate it as much as possible. Again, thank you, D.M. Parker.

Deputy Mayor Parker Thank you, Mayor Adams, for your leadership. Our next speaker is the police commissioner, Thomas Donlon.

Interim Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon: Thank you, Chauncey, and thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you for your leadership, Mr. Mayor, for bringing us together today to address this serious issue. We’re here to reinforce that riding on top of moving subway trains is reckless and unsafe, and I know we all understand that, but it’s happening and we need to think seriously about why. 

Our children are motivated by social media, are putting their lives at risk on a daily basis. This behavior is dangerous, illegal, and deadly, and the NYPD, along with our agency partners, include many of them who are here today, will continue to do everything possible to stop it. That includes the deployment of our transit drone team under the great leadership of Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry, who will explain their mission in more detail in a moment. 

And I must reinforce that the NYPD uses technology, both on criminal, terrorism, and other matters, so it’s something that we employ on our daily routines regarding investigations or situations like this. We are using this technology, drone technology, to respond to the thousands of 911 calls, so we get each day regarding subway surfing. Our drones get us to the scene faster, they help us track incidents longer, and from a safe distance. And they provide this video we can immediately show to the parents, so the parents can see firsthand the danger these dead children are putting themselves in. The work is saving lives, but again, we need to focus on why this is happening in the first place. We need to involve parents and guardians before a tragedy happens. Proactive approach that we employ here with the NYPD. And as the mayor said, it’s time to start holding social media companies accountable for hosting these videos on their sites. 

We don’t glorify violence, or hate, or any other criminal activity on these websites, and we must stop glorifying subway surfing. Every injury, every death, is 100 percent preventable. So the NYPD will continue to enforce the law under the direction and leadership of our Chief of Patrol, John Chell, and our newly appointed Chief of Transit, Joe Gulotta. And we’re also working closely with the mayor on a daily basis, along with the MTA and the DOE. And our agency partners are educated, our young people and their families, which is so, so important. We’re going to provide guidance and support and appeal to everyone’s common sense, and we’re going to put an end to this reckless behavior. Thank you.

Deputy Mayor Parker: Thank you, Commissioner Donlon. Our next speaker is the chancellor of the New York City Public Schools, Melissa Aviles-Ramos.

Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you, Mayor Adams and D.M. Parker and our police commissioner for all being here today. I also want to thank Superintendent Hidalgo and Principal Jorge for your partnership in this district. As a mother of a New York City Public School student myself, the thought of our children riding atop a subway car is terrifying and distressing to me on a very personal level. And after having a conversation with Ms. Nazario this morning, I can only say that to imagine her heartbreak is— there are no words. 

And Ms. Nazario, you have my promise, not only as a chancellor and as an educator, but as a mother, to stand with you so other families can hear from you, and we thank you for your advocacy and support. I want to talk to you about what we are doing at New York City Public Schools to fight this incredibly dangerous trend. Last year, we launched a campaign in deep partnership with the MTA called Ride Inside, Stay Alive to raise awareness about this issue. 

This campaign was designed by our talented students from the High School of Art and Design. Our students made posters that were displayed on MTA subway lines across the system, and they recorded PSAs that were played in subway stations throughout the city. Approximately 450 hardcopy anti-subway surfing posters and 500 anti-subway surfing palm cards were hand-delivered to over 60 schools in close proximity to the JMZ and 7 train lines. With this campaign, we are amplifying student voice and peer-to-peer messaging to fight the potentially dangerous effects of peer pressure and social media. Our students are our best messengers, which is why we focus on not only student engagement, but student empowerment. 

We know we will continue elevating student voice to bring attention to this issue. And of course, we also need to directly educate our kids about the dangers of subway surfing. To that end, we have collaborated with the NYPD Transit Bureau to give anti-subway surfing presentations prior to and during the 24-25 school year to approximately 1,300 students. And importantly, we are continuing to engage families. We are continuing to empower families. We just hosted a community safety forum in collaboration with NYPD, the Department of Youth and Community Development, and other city agencies to hear from families and share their safety resources from across city government. 

I want to thank all of our partners in this work, especially the NYPD and MTA. Across both state and city agencies, we are standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against subway surfing. Working together and in partnership with our communities, I believe we can put an end to these tragic, devastating incidents and create a safer city for all of our young people.

Deputy Mayor Parker: Thank you, chancellor. Our next speaker is the deputy commissioner of Operations for the NYPD, Kaz Daughtry.

Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry, Operations, Police Department: Thank you, deputy mayor. Thank you, everyone, for being here. The issue of subway surfing poses a serious threat to our youths. The solution requires several different approaches, and we have developed a four-pronged method that aims effectively to eliminate the danger from our community. First and foremost, rescuing these children before they are hurt requires a team effort, and the use of drone technology has made this task a lot more easier. 

As you can see here from the videos that are playing behind me, drones provide the necessary aerial overwatch, allowing our officers to quickly locate and save these children before they get themselves injured. This year, drones have been deployed over 909 times for transit operations. Your officers have successfully saved the lives of 114 subway surfers. However, that’s just one part of the solution. Many of these children are influenced by social media. The subway surfing videos that are posted on social media attract an audience unlike anything many of us experienced growing up. While we utilize drone technology to address problems, social media has also played a continuing role in this effort. 

We are actively collaborating with various social media platforms to leverage the algorithms and artificial intelligence to identify and remove these accounts that promote subway surfing content. By doing this, we aim to eliminate any opportunity for likes, comments, or praise associated with this dangerous act. Communication is the key. We are making strides by partnering with teachers and educators who serve as vital mentors. We need to encourage a discussion in the classrooms about the realities of subway surfing, highlighting that such behavior can lead to permanent disfigurement or, in certain cases, death. It is not glamorous. It is tragic. 

By fostering this dialogue, we hope to prevent these actions before they even occur. Finally, we cannot address this issue without the involvement of parents. Parents know their children best, and after every subway surfing incident, we share the drone footage with each parent. Open conversations at home are critical. Everything starts within the family. By fostering these discussions, we can work together to tackle this challenge. In conclusion, while this issue may seem complex, our priority remains clear—the safety of our children. The solution is multifaceted, and NYPD is committed to working hand-in-hand with the community to put an end to subway surfing. 

Together, we can protect and save the lives of all of our children. I just want to go over some quick numbers real quick. Total surfing operations that we have deployed the drone with is 153 times. The total lives saved are 114 times. What you’re seeing in this video behind me here that’s playing, the drone captured 70 incidents from January 1st to now of subway surfing incidents. They have labeled these as apprehensions. We’re labeling them as live save. 

When the parents come into the commands and into the transit district, and when they watch their child, their loved ones, on top of this train, the attention doesn’t focus on NYPD anymore. It focuses on the kids because they cannot believe what they are watching in the transit district when they’re seeing their child surfing on top of these train stations. Like the mayor said before, the youngest surfer that we have saved is nine years old. The average is 14 to 15 years of age. Thank you.

Deputy Mayor Parker: Thank you, Commissioner Daughtry. Our next speaker is the Chief of the Transit Bureau for the NYPD, Chief Joseph Gulotta.

Chief Joseph Gulotta, Transit, Police Department: In my short tenure as the chief of Transit, I’ve already seen the effect this has on people. I spoke to a mother today who lost her son. I have my detectives out from my office that met with parents, and when they showed up at the person’s house, the mother was petrified that we were going to notify her that her son was dead from subway surfing. This is not a game. This is very serious. 

Part of what we’re going to do is education, which we’re already doing with the Department of Education, as the chancellor said. We’re also going to go out and do visits to families. That’s proven to be very effective right now. We have parents that are telling us, my son’s surfing right now. As we speak, two of my detectives just got a call before we started saying, my son’s surfing on the Seven Line. That is going to be a real outreach goal we’re going to have as we go forward. We want a partnership with the parents. We want to get into the schools. We want to have credible messengers that say, hey, this is not worth doing. I said firsthand, I met a mother who lost her son. As a father of two children, this is unacceptable. We have to do better. We will do better. Thank you.

Deputy Mayor Parker: Thank you, chief. Our next speaker is Norma Nazario, who has suffered the ultimate tragedy for any parent. For any of us, I think it would break us, and you’re one of those remarkable people. Instead, what you’ve done is become a voice that ripples through the city and through every single family to try to save other children. Thank you. 

Norma Nazario: Thank you. Thanks for having me. My name is Norma Nazario, and I’m Zachary’s mom. Zach was an old soul whose favorite artists were Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. He always loved history. His teachers called him the historian. He was always teaching me new things he learned. He especially loved the history of New York and learning about the New York City subway system. He was sent subway surfing challenges videos through social media algorithms. Zach was only just 15 years old when he died riding on top of a subway. I miss him every day. 

I am holding Zach’s funeral card today, and I think no mother, no mother should have to carry her child’s funeral card. I’m here because we need to do more to keep our kids safe, and I’m glad that Mayor Adams is. I’m grateful to Mayor Adams and the NYPD for this new drone initiative. Already it saved more than 100 lives. That’s 100 families who don’t have to live with the heartbreak that I am living every day that I carry with me, and 100 kids who will continue to live and learn. And the social media companies need to step up. Take this video down and stop pushing harmful challenges to our kids. Social media has a role to play here, too, and they’re not doing it. Not one child should lose their life, and no other family should have to live without their beloved child. Our message is clear. Ride inside and stay alive. Thank you, guys.

Deputy Mayor Parker: Thank you, Ms. Nazario. Our next speaker is Councilmember Rita Joseph, who’s the chair of the Education Committee for the New York City Council. Thank you.

City Councilmember Rita Joseph: Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Councilmember Rita Joseph, also the chair of the Education Committee. And today, I’m deeply concerned about the alarming rising of subway surfing incident in our city, particularly with the young people, and that’s who I fight for and behalf. 

So Mayor Adams, thank you for this initiative to use technology. The utilization of 911 call data drone deployment is a crucial step toward this issue. But we must also, for example, Parent Teacher Conference Night is coming up. Just some ideas. Make sure that we are alerting parents as they come in. Put PSAs on radios, TVs, and put them on different languages so parents know when they’re talking to these children. Those are crucial and easy fix. Some of the easy ways we can get parents involved, engage our CBOs, engage our non-for-profits who work with young people every single day to make sure the messaging is getting out. 

All of us have a part to play in this, and that includes social media, who should put down the videos as soon as they go up. They should put them down. So we also have to hold them accountable, and we need all parents, all peer models, all students involved in this conversation. So PTA Parent Teacher Conference is coming up. That’s one way when you have parents in the building, engage them in that conversation. And throughout the year, continue to engage and teach them about the safety of writing inside, not outside. Thank you.

Deputy Mayor Parker: Thank you, Chair Joseph. And our last speaker is Councilmember Julie Won. 

City Councilmember Julie Won: Stay inside and you stay alive. Almost a year ago, I was here with Mayor Adams, as well as NYPD and the rest of the team under Bliss Plaza on 40th Street on the 7 train, because we’ve had five lives lost a year ago. And now we stand here again, six lives lost, but we had 114 saved. That’s still not enough. No mother, like Norma, should ever have to bury their child first before they die. That kind of heartache is one that I never wish upon any mother in this city. 

No amount of likes or views on social media is worth your life. We have a serious cultural conversation that we have to have as a society across the country and across the world on how our children view themselves, on how their worth is now amounted to, how many likes they wake up to when they open up their social media account in the morning, how popular they are in school because of how many views they had on a video that they created. 

The 7 train is meant to be ridden inside, not on the outside. And in addition to the verbal campaign to make sure that children are understanding you have to stay inside to stay alive, which other students were taken to make these campaign videos and voice notes. But now we’re adding an additional layer of precaution to make sure that the NYPD drones are keeping these children inside. When I take my commute on the 7 train from my office on Queens Boulevard to City Hall, I’ve had two instances where I’ve had to pull the emergency lever because I watched as the children of the high schools in my district were climbing up to subway surf. That is unacceptable. 

And I thank all of our principals, we’re at PS11 right now, to Principal Elizabeth Peña-George who has been a great partner along with all the other principals and the school chancellor and our chair, Joseph, to make sure that our educators are working with our parents and our peer mentors to say this is enough. We cannot have any more children lost. We have to invest in after school programs, make sure that students have hobbies like sports, like the Mets, play some baseball, after school sports, whatever it may be. We got to keep them inside, keep them busy, and make sure that they’re really pursuing their dreams and their purpose and have a vision for their lives, that it’s not just about getting a few likes on social media to find their self-worth. Thank you so much.

Deputy Mayor Parker: Thank you Councilmember Juan. Thank you Mayor Adams for your leadership, our elected official partners, our agency partners, Ms. Nazario in particular, thank you to you for your courage and your leadership in saving lives across the city. And now at this point, we’re going to demonstrate for you how drones, as one of the city’s tools, is saving lives as has been talked about earlier.

Deputy Commissioner Daughtry: Alright, so we’re going to demonstrate, our [inaudible] detectives are going to demonstrate what they do every single day, Monday through Friday, along Roosevelt Avenue. There are strategic locations that we actually pick on the roofs of Roosevelt Avenue, and the Skydio X10 drone is going to perform a subway surfing directed patrol, as we call it.

[Crosstalk.]

Okay, so as you can see the pilot, the pilot is watching the trains as they come in. Like the mayor said before, the number 7 line is probably one of our most prolific subway lines for subway surfing in the city. Point being is, there’s a particular area between Junction Boulevard and 103rd Street where you can get the most iconic view of the skyline. If you look at those pictures there, that was taken from our drone from subway surfing. Those are the photos, those are the videos that our young adults, our youngsters like because they’re just iconic photos and they get the most likes and shares on it. 

I think I’ve seen one subway post where, subway surfer post where it was viewed over 45 million times because they like the backdrop. And I watched, I read some of the comments where folks were commenting on the backdrop of the actual post. But if you can see, the drones can, they can fly up from here all the way down to 74th Street. 

They can come all the way back down to 111th Street. And we have officers in plain clothes, some in uniform, when the train’s pulling into the station, when they identify a subway surfer, they will pull into the station. We already have that description and what type of individual we’re looking for. Some of the kids get a little crafty where, when they’re coming down off of the train, they’ll take off their jacket, they’ll take off their shirt and put another shirt on because they know sometimes that the drones are watching them. But we already have them identified before they even do that so, and that has happened several times. 

But that’s just a quick demonstration. If you could look, look at the skyline in the back, you know, when the train is pulling into the next station. You can see that’s the sky, that’s the, that’s the picture that they want. They want that skyline, they want that view, and that’s what’s going to give them a lot of likes and shares. 

This is a live feed, as you’re seeing. And not only are the officers watching, looking at their handheld devices, but this stream is also being streamed into our Joint Operations Center, and any one of the executives, any one of the executives that wants to watch a real life subway surfing patrol, directed patrols with our drones. That’s just a quick overview. We’re not going to, thank you, you can come back. C

Question: Yeah, I’m just curious, because I know the 7 line, after 52nd Street, it goes on Queens Boulevard. So will you have police officers there? And secondly, you know, what is, I’m just trying to figure out, for writing this, if you’ve had the drones in place for at least a year, since last November, at least that’s what’s from the video show, is there an element of this that’s different, or is there an update in reaction, in response, to the two people, the one death and the other one? I mean, is there an element of this that’s different, or is there an update in reaction, in response, to the two people, the one death and the other one? 

Mayor Adams: Yeah, first, first, the drones can move where the needs are. We are analyzing 311 and 911 data to determine what is the best location. The hours where we find that the subway surfing is taking place, is it 2 to 5? 

Between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., after school hours. All experts tell you after school hours is a very difficult time for some form of mischief, no matter what it is. And so that’s how we determine where we’re going to place them. If we see the 311 and 911 data showing us it needs to be shifted to another location, we would do that as well. And so when you say, what is being done differently now, is number one, we now have a good view of analyzing the data. 

Over 100 lives were saved, and now we see, we did a pilot, to see the need and what we’re going to be able to effectively save lives. And after doing the pilot, we realized that, yes, this can save lives, this could be proactive and reactive. When you look at the stations, if only a real transit officer would be able to tell you, when you pull into a station, you can’t see on top of the train. And we’re changing a one-dimensional patrol to a multi-dimensional by utilizing the sky to be complementary to the patrol. Not only are you complementary to the patrol of the trains, but you’re complementary to the entire route that’s connected to it as well. So this is something we’re going to expand. We’re going to move the pilot to expand even more, because it’s doing the job that we expected.

Question: How many drones are in use now that it’s no longer in the pilot phase? Do you have those numbers available?

Deputy Commissioner Daughtry: The department has approximately 109 drones in its fleet, and we’re looking to purchase some more drones. We’re still working to decide what company we’re going to go to. There’s two companies that we’re looking at that we’re piloting now, Skydio Drones, X10, Nightingale, and I think BRINCs is another one. But we’re looking to phase out our DJI drones, because those are not American-made drones. Those are drones that were made in China. And we’re looking to slowly phase them out of our fleet.

[Crosstalk.]

Question: So when you say you’ve saved 100 lives, I’m curious to know how enforcement meshes with the drone photos. So do you stop the train? Do you make an arrest? Are you arresting these children that are doing, you know, if they’re under 18, as you say many of them are, are they being arrested? What’s happening?

Chief Gulotta: So, like we said earlier, it saves. So we’re bringing them in, we’re taking them into custody, we’re bringing them to their parents, and we’re having a discussion with the parents. So on top of the drones, all in total, we have 181 saves in transit. How the operation works is we have plainclothes officers, like Commissioner Daughtry said, along the line. They’re there, the deployment’s there. And as we get radio runs, we have officers on the trains that actively ride the trains, which is a big part of what we do, especially on the subway surfing lines. And those officers also make apprehensions as part of this.

Question: If they don’t go up to the roof of the train, how do they get the kids to come down? Or how do they, you know, effectuate an apprehension?

Chief Gulotta: We have spotters, we see them coming down in between the cars, and we’ll get them coming down in between the cars.

Question: Obviously there’s been deaths this year, so this hasn’t been completely 100 percent foolproof. What’s the process before a drone goes up? Does someone have to see a child going up before they make the call before the drone goes? Can I get the process? Or are you just sending drones out to check every train that’s…

Deputy Commissioner Daughtry: No, so the process is, we have a waiver from the FAA, we have [inaudible] for a year where we can launch these drones autonomously throughout the whole city. The chief of transit, Joe Gulotta, gives us the exact times and locations based upon the 311 and 911 calls that he’s seen from his analytical team. And then we place them strategically along Roosevelt Avenue where we think that we’re going to, where the data is taking us. 

We don’t have to make a phone call to call up saying we’re going to launch a drone. The drone pilots have an app. They put the app, what type of operation they’re going to be doing for the day. It gets sent to the FAA, or the JFK Tower, or the LaGuardia Tower. So our commercial traffic airlines and our commercial helicopter traffic know that there’s drones in the area, and they perform their directed patrols like any other police officers in the city, but they’re looking with the drone cameras, scouring up and down the train line at Roosevelt Avenue. 

And not only are they looking for subway surfers, let me just be very clear about this, they’re also looking for any type of anomalies on the actual station, whether it be a fight, whether it be a medical emergency, whether it be a disorderly group. So answering 911 calls may be lost child, pickpocket. So these drones are actually performing a patrol function as well as the subway surfing as well.

Mayor Adams: That’s important, because that was your question, is that this is a new aspect of patrol. It is a game changer. Patrol has not been altered in probably the last hundred years. And what we are doing in this city, we are changing the concept of patrol. And it’s pennies on the dollars, and it allows us to use an overhead observation. 

So what you’re seeing in real time is we’re changing the aspect of patrol. Normally an officer will walk up and down that platform and see if there’s a condition that needs to be corrected. We have now used technology to allow that officer to not only walk on top of that platform, but to see what is happening not at one station, but we can actually see several stations out. This is a huge, huge success for police officers that are on patrol utilizing technology to do so. So we’re changing the philosophy of patrol and what it looks like.

Question: Hi, I wanted to ask you about the marketing campaign. How can you measure the efficacy of that? You know, you tell kids don’t do this thing. How can you tell whether they’re actually listening? And why was that method chosen?

Mayor Adams: The best analogy, Ozzie Smith, who was a great shortstop, why he was paid so much. He didn’t hit a lot of home runs, but the owner of the team said, how many runs did he save? And so we never really acknowledge how many lives that are saved. We focus on how many lives that are lost. 

What we do know based on this technology is that over 100 young people between the ages of 9 and 33 were identified and were removed from off the top of the train. That is what we are looking at. And so, yes, you know, we will see the lives that are lost, but rarely do you get the medal for the lives that are saved. And these officers and this team and this technology is saving lives.

Question: Just to clarify, I know you asked, but so when the kids are saved off the train and when they’re apprehended and brought to the parents, they’re not being arrested?

Mayor Adams: Chief Gulotta, do you want to talk about the process?

Chief Gulotta: All right, so we do a juvenile report, we get the parents in, and we speak to the parents. That’s the key to this. So it’s bringing them in, getting to their parents, speaking to the parents. And I want to also say we have recidivists that have ridden the train. We have 41 people that we’ve arrested more than once doing this. Those are the people we’re really focusing on right now because they’re really pushing the social media and they’re the ones behind it, some as many as five times.

Question: And just in addition to this program expanding now with this new data and obviously unfortunately with the six deaths that we’ve had, is there anything in addition to this like physically to the MTA trains that you might be exploring a decision about? Just one of the parents today of [inaudible] just said, you know, why can kids physically get on top of the trains? Is there anything that can be done about that?

Mayor Adams: That’s a MTA question. There’s some type of modification they want to make on top of the trains. Their technology to do that, our job is to give them input, observation. They’ve been great partners on this. You know, should we look at other methods to stop children from getting on top of the trains? Those are the conversations for the MTA. 

Question: Would you want to see that happen? 

Mayor Adams: Yes, I would love to if it’s feasible. You know, because there’s a lot in operating our system. Some of these trains go underground. And so you have to be careful of what mechanism. Like the 7 train goes underground. And there’s a short, a small overhead to allow it to go underground. And so the design must meet the desire. But if we can prevent children from getting on top of the trains, we would love to do that. But subway surfing is also those who ride on the side of the train. You know, when the desire is there, we have to encourage people not to participate in the behavior.

Question: Hi, Mr. Mayor. A related question. The MTA said a year ago that they were looking into what they could do about that. Have you or any member of your team heard anything from the MTA about a specific engineering solution?

Mayor Adams: No. No, we have not. And I’m sure if Janno, who has really been a partner on all of these initiatives, if he stated they’re looking into it, they’re looking into it. The designs of these trains, you know, it’s extremely complicated. You’re dealing with a New York City transit system, one of the most complex systems on the globe. And making sure the trains can be operational and safe at the same time. 

You know, there was a desire to connect the cars like what you see in Dubai and other places. I know there were some structure issues around doing that connection where people couldn’t get out to get on top that easily. But I’m sure they’re looking at other methods to try to resolve this issue.

Question: I’m just wondering, is it not a little bit of a misnomer to say lives saved since the technology isn’t actually getting people off the trains or preventing them from going on the trains?

Mayor Adams: Well, I think if you want to use that method, you know, how many lives did we save by seatbelts? We don’t count, you know, the success of seatbelts by the number of deaths. We count it by the number of lives. The same with airbags. The same with child seats. 

No one reports when that child’s seat saves the life of a child that’s in an accident. You report it when that child is not in it. And so to not really understand why removing 100 people off the top of the trains is not a way of saving lives, we may just have to disagree on that. I think it’s a way of saving lives.

Question: Who came up with the idea? What was the genesis of the pilot?

Mayor Adams: We’re always thinking. And chief of commission, deputy commissioner of operations, same person that thought about using drones at our beaches to drop life rafts. The same to use drones to go after criminal behavior instead of using helicopters that cost thousands of dollars to fuel. Our goal has always been, how do you save taxpayers’ dollars with effective products? And this is one of Kaz Daughtry’s, Commissioner Daughtry’s brain child, and I commend him for always pushing the envelope and saying, how can we do it better?

Question: Hi, yes. My question is, how many drones are being used for this initiative? What are the patrol shifts? And then to the DOE, I wanted to know, I thought I heard you mention that only 1,300 students have gotten [inaudible].

And then the last question was to the DOE. I thought I heard only 1,300 students have gone through the subway surfing education program. Is there a way to increase that number? Are you going to make that a mandatory class going forward?

Mayor Adams: Kaz, you want to deal with the number of drones and chancellor, you can deal with the class?

Deputy Commissioner Daughtry: Yes, sir. Thank you. The number of drones for this initiative is two drones, one drone team, two drones, Skydio X10s. And what they do is, the drone life is about 30 minutes between 25 and 30 minutes up in the air. Flight time, depending on winds and weather, they’ll come down, they’ll switch the battery up and they’ll deploy the same exact drones. We have about two or three drone teams that go to different locations throughout the city between the hours of 2 p.m. and between 5:30 and 6:00.

Chancellor Aviles-Ramos: We are in the process of expanding the PSAs and the student videos to our other students in other schools. We’re working closely with our superintendents and our principals. And that’s precisely the reason why we wanted these to be student-driven. We know that sometimes young people listening to adults, it’s not really landing on them the way that it does with their peers. And so hearing from students who have actually been friends with people they have seen subway surfing and have been very hurt and died, it’s very powerful when the young people speak to other young people. So, yes, we are expanding and that’s why they are student-driven.

Question: A specific conversation with social media platforms? 

Mayor Adams: Yes, yes. And we sat down with social media companies and talked about, you know, the impact of not only subway surfing but everything from drill music to other antisocial behaviors that are promoted on social media. 

Any of you that have young people in your family, you know, I mean, our children, you know, these young people would tell you they spend a lot of time on social media and they are, you know, just motivated by some of the things that they do. Like we all were. Like I used the analogy earlier, you know, I would go to a karate movie as a child and come out and thought I was Bruce Lee and mimic kicking and what have you. So it’s just a natural desire to see what you see on TV. TV has changed. Now it’s in the palm of our hands and it’s being used all the time. 

And a lot of the behavior that we’re seeing on social media has really become counterproductive to young people on so many levels. And I really believe there needs to be a national call for action to address what social media is doing to our children. And that’s our goal. We’re going to do our job until the country catches up. We’re going to utilize what Dr. Vasan has done and others have done to, you know, compel social media to change its ways and we’re going to continue to do that. But in the meantime, we’re going to put some eyes in the sky. Thank you.

 

TRANSCRIPT: MAYOR ADAMS DELIVERS REMARKS AT NYPD RECRUIT GRADUATION CEREMONY

Lieutenant Jack Conway, Ceremonial Unit, Police Department: It’s now my pleasure to introduce the police commissioner of the City of New York, the Honorable Thomas G. Donlon.

Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon: Thank you, lieutenant. Good morning, graduates. On behalf of Mayor Eric Adams, the entire NYPD Executive Staff, and 8.3 million New Yorkers, congratulations on this incredible, incredible achievement. And to all the families and friends with us, welcome. And thank you for supporting our newest officers on this very, very special day.

This morning we welcome a new generation of highly trained, well-equipped officers to the ranks of the NYPD. Graduates, you now wear a shield that carries so much meaning for our city, for our department, and for each of you. Because that shield represents the promise you made, the oath you swore, and the calling you answered, it’s about pride and purpose that unites people from all around the world, bringing them together as members of the New York City Police Department. 

Your class is one of the most diverse classes in department history. You hail from 29 countries, speak 38 languages, and you reflect the diversity of our city, which makes the NYPD stronger and the city we serve safer. And among you are 74 officers who served in our nation’s military. You already know what it means to be part of something larger than yourselves. So thank you for continuing your service in the NYPD. 

Also, which is important, is that nearly 70 percent of you are New York City residents, products of the very same neighborhood you are now sworn to protect. And some of you are also from halfway around the world, as we graduate five members from the police force in the United Arab Emirates. As the mayor says, New York is a global city, and this partnership with the UAE is a testament to our strong international bonds. And here to congratulate them is Colonel Dr. Ahmed Al Shamsi from UAE Ministry of Interior. Thank you for being here, colonel, and congratulations to your graduating members. 

No matter where you call home, you all come here today with stories of your own and unique experiences that made you what you are today. One story in particular came to my attention from the statements you wrote explaining why you wanted to be an NYPD officer. More than 30 years ago, NYPD officers responded to a terrible car accident in Queens. At the scene, officers discovered a family with three injured children, including a young girl whose injuries were life-threatening. She was unconscious, bleeding badly, and struggling to breathe. And the officers knew she needed immediate medical attention. 

As officers do in the line of duty, they quickly and carefully pulled the girl from the wreckage and immediately took her to the hospital. And in that moment, when all seemed lost, one officer’s courage and calmness under pressure saved a precious life. Today, we are privileged to witness the continuation of that story. Graduating today from the Academy is Police Officer Xavier Duran, that young girl’s older brother who was also injured in that car accident. This experience shaped Officer Duran’s early life and inspired him to join the NYPD. He wanted to emulate the officers who saved him and his sisters 30 years ago. And today, in a full circle of faith and legacy that every officer who served, now we have retired Sergeant Minetto, who is here to witness Officer Duran’s graduation. It is a powerful testament to the impact of a single act of service that can have on the course of another one’s life. 

Congratulations, graduating Officer Duran and Sergeant Minetto, and thank you both for sharing your stories. I ask Sergeant Minetto to stand up. He’s in the audience today. Thank you, sergeant. And to the families here this morning, you were the first role models these graduates ever had, instilling in them resilience, passion, and integrity. For the rest of their careers, they will bring their values to their work in our department. So thank you for showing them the way,  and for supporting them with their dream of becoming a New York City police officer. Please join me in giving your families a round of applause. Thank you. 

Finally, I want to thank our Police Academy instructors, who laid the foundation for your achievement today. And of course, this is all possible thanks to the vision, the leadership, and unwavering support of Mayor Adams, who sat in the same seat as you when he was graduated from Police Academy 40 years ago, and he understands fully your duties and responsibilities. He’s the only person in history to have served as a NYPD officer, and who has gone on to be elected as mayor of New York City. He knows exactly how you feel today, and he fully understands the work that you are facing in your different areas of responsibility and assignments. 

And we’re very grateful for him for giving us the tools and resources and the need to continue keeping New York safe. So welcome to the greatest job in the world, in the greatest city in the world. Welcome to the NYPD. Thank you, stay safe, and God bless.

Lieutenant Conway: And thank you, Commissioner Donlon. It’s now my pleasure to introduce the mayor of the City of New York, the Honorable Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Every time I hear the National Anthem, I think about my Uncle Joe, 19 years old, [who] gave his life in Vietnam defending our country. I not only listen to the melody, but I listen to the lyrics, and I think about those who take the mantle of putting on a uniform to defend the greatest country on the globe. 

The most significant lyrics is that the rocket’s red glare, the bomb burst in air, gave proof through the night that our flag is still there. Forty years ago, I took the oath you’re taking today. I stood up and raised my hand, unsure of what I was going to face as a member of the transit police at the time, and then after the merger, becoming a member of the New York City Police Department. There were good days and there were bad days. There were days that I saw some of the most cruel acts that man can inflict on man. There [were] days when there was joy, when you saved someone’s life or found a lost child or responded to someone who needed some form of medical care. There were a lot of uncertainties, but little did I know that what I learned in the Police Department would fortify me throughout my entire life of showing principle, fortitude, resiliency. 

I watched September 11, 2001, when our center of trade was attacked, and those symbols of our buildings and strength and courage collapsed in front of our eyes. And although we give acknowledgment each year to the men and women who we lost, and some are still transitioning from the after effects, I want you to know something. We may remember September 11, but I also remember September 12. We got up. We showed the globe what we’re made of. And when New York City got up on September 12 and carried out their lives, the entire globe and the entire country followed. And we did it because of those who came before you and considered themselves to be part of the law enforcement community. 

That’s what it means to serve and run towards danger when others run away. That is what it means no matter who’s in charge of any agency or entity, you still carry out your function. And you have such a role to play because no matter what happens next week, you have the responsibility of making sure that this country knows that we are not the divided states. We are the United States, and we’re there because you have watered the tree of freedom with your commitment, your sweat, your blood, and your sacrifices. That is what makes us great. It’s the greatest country on the globe, and this is the greatest city on the globe, because we have the greatest Police Department on the globe, known as the NYPD, and you are now part of that. 

But as you carry out your role and your job, I want you to start out with one thought in mind. When I completed my 22 years, I remember seeing Mom look in the audience when I graduated here at Madison Square Garden. And although she had a level of proudness in her face, she also had fear. And upon my retirement, I remember hugging her, and I felt the weight of her body as she felt this sense of relief. Every day, your family members are going to be on patrol with you. They’re not going to rest until they know you’re home. 

When they hear about an incident that impacts a police officer, they’re going to hold their breath to hear the name, and even after hearing the name, they know that a member and one of your colleagues were impacted. They’re going to feel the uncertainty. They’re going to hear the attacks and criticism as you carry out your job. And so when you are on patrol, think of them. Think about your wives, your daughters, your sons, your moms, your aunts, and your uncles. Make decisions to know that you must be wise and smart and strategic based on the skill and knowledge that you have received. They are with you. They’re going to feel your ups and downs. They’re going to celebrate your promotions. They’re going to be there when you sacrifice and make the good arrests. They’re going to be there when you experience a traumatic experience. 

When I left the department, it was my son who came to me and told me, Dad, you went through a lot through those 22 years. Now it’s time to take care of yourself. As you go through those 22 years, if you’re fortunate to do so, spend time with yourself and your colleagues and friends. You’re no good to your profession if you’re not good to yourself. There’s a reason the captain or the airline stewardess states when you are in flight and if there’s an emergency and the air pressure drops, place the mask on yourself before you place it on your travel companion because you first must be good to yourself so you can be good to the City of New York. 

That is how you get through this career, taking care of yourself. And as the song states, those small time blues, [there’s] only one city to be in, and that’s New York City. We’re the greatest. And as I travel across the globe and the country, I remind people all the time, there’s only two types of Americans, those who live in New York and those who wish they could. We’re the lucky ones. Congratulations to you.

 

 

TRANSCRIPT: MAYOR ADAMS HOLDS PUBLIC HEARING FOR INTRO. 0991-C  

 

TRANSCRIPT: MAYOR ADAMS HOLDS BILL SIGNING CEREMONY FOR INTRO. 0991-C  

MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON LIKELY OVERWHELMING PASSAGE OF PROPOSITIONS 1, 2, 3, 4, AND 5  

TRANSCRIPT: MAYOR ADAMS HOLDS MEDIA BRIEFING TO DISCUSS IMPACTS OF 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ON NEW YORK CITY

 

First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer: Good morning, everyone. My name is Maria Torres-Springer. I’m the first deputy mayor for the City of New York. We know that New Yorkers woke up this morning with very strong feelings about the results of this election and its reverberations. And as you will hear from us today, we in this administration are unequivocally focused on protecting and preserving what matters most to New Yorkers, upholding the values our city cherishes, and doing what is needed to move our city forward. 

New Yorkers should rest assured that we have been preparing for various outcomes and will continue that work now that the outcome is clear. We have been focused on a range of budgetary, policy, and civic matters. You’ll hear more about this from members of the administration over the course of this discussion. But first, I would, of course, like to turn over the podium to our mayor, Mayor Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thanks so much, first deputy mayor. And I really want to thank the entire team throughout the last two years and 10 months of challenging some of the most pressing issues that this city and big cities across America have been experiencing. And I want to say to our fellow New Yorkers, the votes have been counted and America has elected a new president, incoming President Donald Trump. 

As Americans, we respect the will of the power of the people, and [are] committed to the peaceful transfer of power. And while our city will always respect their right to peaceful protests, there will be zero tolerance for actions that cross the line and to crimes such as violence, vandalism, blocking traffic, or disorderly behavior. The New York City Police Department under Interim Police Commissioner Tom Donlon and our entire team will ensure that we uphold the law. 

I want to congratulate President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, and wish them all the best as they work to promote the interests of the American people. As mayor of America’s largest city, our main team will work with the incoming administration for the good of all New Yorkers. We will collaborate with our mayors across this country to come up with a real agenda that could help cities across America, including making sure we continue to get support for our housing, infrastructure, education, health care, and more. And I intend to defend and fight for our city’s values as part of the process. 

No matter who is president or what party controls Congress, this city will always stand up for the rights of women, our immigrant brothers and sisters, our LGBTQ+ community, and millions of others. In New York, women can be confident that their reproductive rights are secure. Our city remains committed to protecting and advancing women’s health care, including access to abortion care. No matter what happens across the country, abortion care will always be available in New York City for anyone who needs it. That includes women outside of this city who come here seeking the care they are denied in other places. 

We also intend to protect our immigrant communities, and we will work with the new administration in Congress to develop a realistic and compassionate national strategy for our immigration system. This includes pushing Congress to provide expedited authorization for asylum seekers who desire to work, and they are already here. 

To those immigrants who are living here pursuing the American dream, as so many generations did before you, New York City stands with you. Our city will also continue to offer care, resources, and legal help to those who need it. Regardless of immigration status, we will be here for you. New York City will always remain a city of immigrants and a beacon of liberty around the globe. And our administration’s executive order protects physicians providing gender affirming care. 

This administration is working every single day to make this a safer, more affordable city for all New Yorkers. And we will work with the incoming administration to ensure we can continue to build critical infrastructure throughout the five boroughs. Under Deputy Mayor Joshi’s leadership, we will continue to fight for every dollar to build the infrastructure we need to keep our city functioning and create climate resiliency. These are generational projects that we must move forward, no matter who is in the White House. 

I want to salute Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz for running a powerful campaign that inspired and uplifted women, communities of color, and millions of others across the nation. As Americans, we must find a way to unite our country as we move forward. I understand that this has been a difficult and divisive campaign, but the millions of ballots cast show that American democracy remains strong. 

If we have seen anything over the last 248 years, it is that American people will never give up on trying to make this a better nation for all. But it takes work, it takes commitment, and it takes grit. Democracy is not something that happens every four years. It’s the work we do every day, especially here in New York City. I urge every New Yorker to stay engaged in our political process. Make your voices heard and keep your community strong. New York City continues to be a place where all are free to express their opinions peacefully. This is how we built this great nation and how we will keep New York the greatest city on the globe. Thank you.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Thank you, mayor. What we saw across the city and across the country, of course, was very strong turnout. Here, in New York, New Yorkers got engaged and voted early in robust numbers. We’re seeing counts of 2.4 million ballots cast, close to 400,000 mail-in ballots requested, close to 40,000 observers and volunteers fanning out across the city. And so, we want to thank all of them. I want to thank New Yorkers for participating fully and volunteers for ensuring that New Yorkers can do so. 

As the mayor mentioned, it’s no secret that the campaign trail was difficult and divisive. But for us here in this administration, now comes the hard part, but the important part, and that is the active course of governing. Hard as it may be, New Yorkers expect us to be resolute in ensuring that we move the city forward, that we work, as the mayor mentioned, with the new administration as constructively as possible to do all of the things that strengthen our city, rebuild our infrastructure, create jobs, uplift working people, protect our residents, and preserve the liberties that New Yorkers enjoy. 

As I mentioned earlier, New Yorkers should rest assured that we have been preparing for different scenarios. We’ve been doing that type of planning to ensure that we are prepared to protect and preserve what matters most to New Yorkers. As part of that work, we reviewed the implications of the 2016 elections, we identified key funding and policy risks, and we’ve charted, already, actions that we need to be prepared to take to mitigate those risks and to seize opportunities for New Yorkers in the stretch ahead. 

So just to give some highlights, here’s what we’re focused on. Number one, we’re focused on the budget. We understand that the success of our city is deeply intertwined with the support of the federal government, and that’s why we have proactively anticipated the needs of our city, and are prepared, as always, to advocate fiercely for our interests. And it’s important, because if you look at our FY25 budget of about $112 billion, about $8 billion of that is from federal grant revenue. So that’s about 7 percent of our budget. And it matters to issues from housing, to education and services for our young people, to programs that serve older New Yorkers. And then, of course, to the types of programs and investments that we have to make to ensure that we have the resources to strengthen our infrastructure and to combat the threats of climate change. And so to talk specifically about that, I want to invite Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, our D.M. for operations.

Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, Operations: Thank you very much, first deputy mayor and mayor. Good morning. This morning, we know we now have a new president. We have the same infrastructure challenges, though, that we had yesterday: crumbling bridges, pollution, excessive heat, and extreme water that overwhelms traditional sewer systems. These troubles know no political affiliation. They know no state boundary. They’re bipartisan in the toll that they take on communities. 

The Adams administration has been awarded over $2 billion in federal money that will secure and grow our city’s infrastructure and bolster our city’s and our region’s economy. Together with the new administration, we will continue to work through the funding and implementation of our grant awards, many of which, due to their size, complexity, and bipartisan support, outlast multiple administrations. 

These are dollars won based on the merit of the projects, true critical infrastructure needs. These are investments in building a better New York City and New York City jobs. For example, $90,000 invested in strengthening our city’s infrastructure, green or concrete, creates a good-paying, sustainable job. We’ve won over $2 billion, that’s over 25,000 jobs created. 

And we lead the nation in turning a climate crisis into an economic opportunity. New York City’s green economy will host nearly 400,000 jobs by 2040, becoming the anchor of a prosperous, equitable, and just future for New Yorkers. This includes jobs in renewable energy, converting our buildings to lower-emission operations, activating our blue highways, and sustainable modes of moving freight. Our work with the new administration on strengthening our city’s 21st-century infrastructure is work that is fundamental and key to America’s competitive success, and it will not slow down.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Thank you, D.M. Joshi. So, as I mentioned, we’re focused on a number of areas. The first one is the budget and resources that we will continue to need from the federal government. The second area is that on policy. The mayor already mentioned, in terms of immigration, our city has always been a place of tolerance and of respect, and we will continue to be that beacon of hope and work with the new administration for the types of reforms that are needed to fix our broken immigration system. 

And for those who are living here, immigrants, migrants, you should know, of course, that if the United States is the land of opportunity, we have always believed that New York City is the purest distillation of that, and that will not change. The other area, in terms of policy, that we have been extraordinarily focused on and will continue to be is on healthcare and on reproductive rights. Our city remains committed to protecting and advancing women’s healthcare in every way. We will fight to ensure that it remains that way, and that we continue to lead the nation in ensuring that every woman has the autonomy and support to make informed choices about her health. And so to speak more on this, deputy mayor for Health and Human Services, Anne Williams Isom.

Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom, Health and Human Services: Thank you, first deputy mayor. As the mayor and the first deputy mayor stated, our administration is well prepared to work with the incoming administration to continue to ensure that we receive the federal support we need to continue to deliver for New Yorkers. 

Our work is also rooted in our unwavering commitment to New York’s values. That means standing to support all New Yorkers to help every child, every family, and individual thrive. Continuing to create a welcoming city for immigrants and ensuring everyone, including migrants and undocumented folks, have the right to city services, education, healthcare, and public safety. And to assure that healthcare continues to be a fundamental right in our city. And when I say healthcare, I don’t just mean access to an abortion. I mean all kinds of reproductive care. 

So the right to have a healthy baby, the right to decide if you don’t want to have a baby, the right to get help if you are struggling with infertility. One in five women in New York City struggles with infertility. All of that remains. No matter what happens across this country, women will have access to the reproductive freedoms they deserve in our city. 

With the passage of Proposition 1, we are grateful New Yorkers have reaffirmed the statewide right to reproductive freedom among our civil liberties. As a reminder, our administration launched the Abortion Access Hub, a first-of-its-kind hotline that confidentially connects callers to abortion care providers and financial support. We have also expanded access to medication abortion and telehealth abortion services to all. We will also continue to be a city with a strong social and healthcare safety net. And we will work to ensure that every New Yorker eligible for social service benefits can receive them, and that healthcare continues to be accessible regardless of your background. 

I woke up this morning reminded that public service often requires commitment that runs deep, one that is steady and focused on those that call this city a home. That is our job, and that is what we will continue to do. New Yorkers have our word that we will continue to work with the incoming administration to support the more than three million New Yorkers who rely on public benefits, which are largely possible due to a productive and collaborative relationship with the federal government. At the end of the day, everyone is up here for one reason, because we want to help people, no matter if it’s a good day, an easy day, or anything in between. And so with that, we are dedicated to our mission because New Yorkers are counting on us.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Thank you, D.M. Anne. So we’re focused on the budget, we’re focused on policy matters, and, of course, we remain focused on security preparedness. So as New Yorkers reckon with the reverberations of the election, we want everyone to know that we are prepared for every eventuality to ensure New Yorkers’ safety and the rights of peaceful protest. And to speak more about this, I’d like to invite Interim PC Tom Donlon to the podium.

Interim Police Commissioner Tom Donlon: Okay, good morning everyone, and thank you first [deputy], and Mayor Adams, we thank you very much for having this press conference today, and all of you for being here with us. Millions of New Yorkers went to public polling sites yesterday and had their voices heard, and at every one of our 1,200+ polling sites, they were protected by members of the NYPD. I want to express my thanks and deep appreciation for the work of our NYPD officers throughout the day, and along with the highly regarded and competent school safety agents at our polling sites across the city. 

There were no incidents yesterday, and that’s a credit to the incredible job our officers did to keep our city safe. And now the election is over, our department will continue that work. The business of New York goes on, and the NYPD is ready, as always, to keep it operating smoothly. Just as we protected everyone’s right to vote, we will also protect the right to peaceful protest. But as we said time and time again, we have no tolerance for criminal activity, violence, property damage, or disruption, or emergency, or emergency services. 

We’re assessing all safety concerns, working closely always with our federal and state partners, and we have also resources available citywide to address any issues regarding demonstrations, whether they are planned or unplanned. Our department is well prepared, highly trained, and we’ve dealt with this many, many times before. Our NYPD officers always rise to the occasion, and I’m extremely proud of their exceptional performance, and professionalism, and dedication. They’re the very best at what they do, and they prove it every day. Thank you.

Mayor Adams: Hold on, before we do questions, do you have any questions for my team and staff here? Ask it. If not, they’re going to go back to work. If there’s something directly to one of these team members here, you could ask that question of them. If not, I’m going to excuse them so they can go back and do their job, and I’ll answer any other questions.

Question: A question for Commissioner Castro. Are you worried that Dreamers, such as yourself, could be deported?

Commissioner Manuel Castro, Immigrant Affairs: Well, thank you for the question. We want to be clear that, as a sanctuary city, we intend to follow the law. We expect that all our city agencies follow our sanctuary laws. 

Sanctuary laws make it clear, with respect to how we collaborate or if we collaborate with federal government, that it sets the boundaries. It explains how we use our resources. And I want to make sure that our immigrant communities know that, as the mayor has said, we will continue to be a sanctuary city, and we will continue to protect our immigrant communities. 

That said, I want to say that as a thriving city of immigrants, we will demonstrate the contributions of all our immigrant communities to our local economy and to the well-being of our city. And so, right now, the most, I think, the most harm for immigrant communities is a sense of anxiety and panic that is setting in, the misinformation, and some instances of hate crimes. So I want to reassure people that we will be working together as an administration to reassure immigrant communities and that they have the information that they need. Thank you. 

Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: Can I just have him say the end part in Spanish, please? 

Commissioner Castro: Quiero asegurarles a nuestras comunidades emigrantes que estaremos trabajando conjunto, toda la administración, para asegurar que tengan la información correcta, que no sean víctimas de odio y que sepan que ésta seguirá siendo una ciudad santuario y que les estaremos protegiendo su información y no estaremos siguiendo las instrucciones del gobierno federal en casos de deportaciones masivas. Gracias. 

Translation: I want to assure our immigrant communities that we will be working together, the entire administration, to ensure that they have the correct information, that they are not victims of hate, and that they know that this will continue to be a sanctuary city and that we will be protecting their information and will not be following the instructions of the federal government in cases of mass deportations. Thank you.

Question:  [Crosstalk.] Can I ask specifics about what the city is doing to shield migrants?

Mayor Adams: We took your question, and you’re not going to disrupt off topics. You could ask, we’re not disappearing. If you’ve got another follow-up question, you know how to reach Kayla, you know how to reach Fabien. No, we’re going to move to the next question. 

Question: Mr. Mayor, I have two questions. The first one has to do with transportation. A number of transit groups and people who ride the trains are worried that there might be cuts to federal aid to the MTA. This is a question for you, Mr. Mayor. 

So I’m wondering if you think that, given the fact that the governor has paused congestion pricing and there’s the possibility that the Trump administration might go to the federal transportation administration and ask them to not certify congestion pricing, do you think that Governor Hochul should unpause congestion pricing now so that we can get funding for the MTA and be guaranteed to get money for them?

Mayor Adams: Well, I think the governor has shown real true leadership around this conversation, and I believe she is going to have a briefing later today. She’s the leader on this, and that’s the conversation or question you should raise to her. I’m in support of whatever methodologies the governor chooses to use as we move forward. She’s shown that she could guide this state through very turbulent times, and so whichever method she decides, I’m in partnership with the governor. 

Question: In terms of the economy of the city and the possibility that the president might try to deport some migrants, I know we have sanctuary city issues here, but I’m wondering if you’re concerned that if migrants leave because of their fears of what’s going to happen, if this could adversely affect the city economy because there’ll be a loss of people working and a loss of tax income? And are you worried that it will affect the city’s bottom line? 

Mayor Adams: Well, our city’s bottom line was affected when 220,000 migrants and asylum seekers were placed in the city without any federal assistance that was substantial. We were impacted, billions of dollars, and what Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom was able to do, 170,000 have been able to go on to the next step in their journey because of the proposals we put in place, including getting work authorization. 

The most important thing we can do for those migrants and asylum seekers that are already here in the country, who were paroled into the country, is give them work authorization. We said this over and over again, people should be allowed to work. 

Cities like Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Houston, New York, we should not be picking up the tab of migrants and asylum seekers. This is a federal problem, and that is what we’ve had to do and it’s unfortunate of those billions of dollars taxpayers had to pay for. So many have moved on to other locales that they wanted to go to and some have returned back to their homelands. We’re going to continue to do our job like we’ve done for those 170,000 that took the next step on their journey.

Question: I want to circle back to the undocumented immigrants question. President-elect Trump— it’s for both of you. 

Mayor Adams: No, the question that Kayla asked, do you have a question for the administration? This team needs work to do. You got a question for the administration? The commissioner is going to answer your question.

Question: President-elect Trump has said that he’s going to start mass deportations day one, regardless of whether municipalities participate. He’s saying he might use the U.S. military. Is this administration going to participate in those mass deportations in any way? And then to follow up on Matt’s question, if not, what are some specific steps that this administration will take to protect undocumented immigrants?

Commissioner Castro: So I know that these are questions that have come up and I want to make sure that we’re taking a step back and not adding to the fear and anxiety that immigrant communities are already facing. We need to really take stock of what is actually happening now, which is increased misinformation online, panic and fear setting in because of what people have heard. I want to reassure people that they do not need to self-deport, they do not need to hide [and] go in the shadows, and that they can continue to use our city services, especially emergency services, like our Police Department, our hospitals, and so on. 

The biggest threat right now is, again, the fear that’s setting in. Everything that people have heard during the campaign, we need to take a step back and make sure that people have the correct information. Now, what we’re doing, we’re working with all of the agencies that interact with immigrant communities to make sure that they understand what our sanctuary laws are and that they are expected to follow and how do we prepare for anything that might happen in the near future. 

But again, we want to make sure that, you know, we do not set more panic into the community because that could be what’s devastating. We saw this first time around. We want to mitigate anything that may come of that right now. Thank you.

[Crosstalk.]

Mayor Adams: Go to the next question, Kayla. Don’t disrupt our off-topics. He just answered you. If you’re going to disrupt our off-topics, I’m going to ask you to leave. If you’re going to disrupt our off-topics, I’m going to ask you to leave. I’m going to ask you to leave if you’re going to disrupt our off-topics. Yeah, listen, we’ve answered it. Well, I’m going to ask you one more time to stop disrupting our press conference. Go ahead. Yes, how are you, Monica?

Question: Hi, thank you. I have a question for NYPD about the possible threats. Are there any for the demonstrations, for vandalism? Is the city seeing anything that is credible? And I also wanted to ask Mr. Mayor, you or NYPD or Commissioner, you said that you are not a fan of those immigrants who committed crimes to stay in the city. With the election results, do you hope that this can be achieved? 

Mayor Adams: Our sanctuary city’s laws, that were changed under the previous administration after Mayor Koch put in place those sanctuary cities laws, Mayor Bloomberg made some slight modifications of the same. It was changed under the previous administration that those who committed even serious crimes after they served their time could not collaborate with ICE. 

I don’t support that. I’ve said that over and over again. That lack of support of that portion of it still remains the same. But the law of this land in this city is the sanctuary city law, and we’re going to abide by that law. Anything you want to add?

Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, Police Department: In terms of threats, there are no threats, and we’re going to do what we always do. We’re an agency that’s prepared. We’ll work with the communities. We’ll allow people to elevate their voices in regards to their cause, but we won’t tolerate any criminal activity.

Question: Hi, I have a question for D.M. Williams-Isom. It’s about vaccinations. Could the federal government change, reshape, override any kind of vaccination rules that are in schools, government, public? I know during COVID, for example, we had no vaccination rules. So how does the federal government interact with the city on things like that?

Dr. Mitchell Katz, President and CEO, Health and Hospitals: Dr. Mitch Katz, President and CEO of New York City Health and Hospitals. This country has a very strong tradition of state control of health issues. Even the Centers for Disease Control is advisory. So states get to determine policies around immunization. 

You have seen in the news some states making decisions, but New York City and New York State have never supported exclusions. We’ll continue to care for all. So I don’t anticipate– The FDA obviously affects what gets approved, but once things are approved, it’s a state’s rights issue. 

Question: A supreme court case?

Dr. Katz: I’m not a lawyer. I can only say that the country has a very strong history of state control of health policy.

Question: Hi, yes. I wanted to go back to the immigration issue. Is there a communication that’s happening right now between City Hall and incoming Trump administration? And what type of information are you giving to the immigrants here to settle those problems with anxiety and fears that you mentioned? And then also, last thing, can you just, once you say it in English, also say it in Spanish as well?

Commissioner Castro: Reminds me of two years ago, when we were doing this with the asylum seekers. But look, there are limits in place as to what we can communicate with, with respect to immigration, the federal government. So that’s in place. 

I’ve already spoken with the school’s chancellor early this morning to talk about how we best support our immigrant families who have children in the schools. That’s top of mind for us. We do not want our immigrant parents to stop sending their children to school. 

I will have similar conversations with other commissioners, agency officials to make sure that we have a plan in place to communicate and support immigrant families. Again, we want people to come forward if they have been a victim of a crime or if they have been a witness of a crime. 

Of course, this does not just impact immigrant communities, but it impacts all New Yorkers if immigrants are not coming forward. And I can go on and on. What’s important to know is that, right now, we cannot add to the anxiety and the fear that people are experiencing. And that is my message to all of you. We want to take a step back and wait to see what will come in the next couple of months and educate our immigrant communities about their rights and about our sanctuary laws. 

Por el momento, lo que estamos haciendo es coordinando con las agencias del gobierno de la ciudad para que entiendan cuáles son nuestras leyes santuario, cómo ayudar y apoyar a las comunidades inmigrantes, especialmente a los padres de familia que tengan a niños en sus escuelas, aquellas personas que han sido víctimas de un crimen o han visto un crimen que sigan utilizando nuestros servicios de policía o servicios médicos y otros tipos de servicios de la ciudad de Nueva York. Lo importante es no aumentar el temor y la ansiedad que tiene nuestra comunidad inmigrante en estos momentos y ayudarle a entender sus derechos y nuestras leyes santuario. Gracias.

Translation: Right now, what we are doing is coordinating with city government agencies so that they understand what our sanctuary laws are, how to help and support immigrant communities, especially parents who have children in their schools, those people who have been victims of a crime or have seen a crime continue to use our police services or medical services and other types of services in New York City. The important thing is not to increase the fear and anxiety that our immigrant community has right now and to help them understand their rights and our sanctuary laws. Thank you.

Question: It’s for the NYPD, if he wants to take it. There was a 90-day crackdown announced on street vendors. I’m wondering if you guys have reconsidered that at all in light of concerns that have immigrants kind of wrapped up into the criminal legal system?

Mayor Adams: Yeah, you said the 90-day crackdown?

Chief Maddrey: Yeah, he’s talking about what we’re doing on Roosevelt Avenue. That’s a specific initiative just to address criminal activity, quality of life conditions on Roosevelt Avenue. It’ll continue to go on. It will continue to go on. And it’s nothing that’s directed towards our migrants or immigrant population. It’s about just cleaning up Roosevelt Avenue, which has undergone some serious quality of life issues and criminal activity, and we need to address it.

Question: The broader crackdown on street vendors, it’s come up as a concern among immigrant advocates right now. Do you have any plans to reevaluate that at this point?

Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry, Operations, Police Department: And thank you for the question. And yes, when we say we’ll crack down, it’s like, we’re not going in, we’re not taking the vendor’s property. We’re going in, we’re educating them, we’re giving them leaflets, we’re giving them pamphlets to let them know how to become a legal vendor here in New York City. And if they don’t follow those rules after several times of us going there and telling them how to do it, then we’re going to take enforcement action. Hope that answers your question.

Mayor Adams: And this is not NYPD generated, the community asked for it. [Inaudible] on Main Street for years has asked to clean up that area. Francisco Moya over on Roosevelt Avenue. Everything from the sex trafficking to the illegal vendors, people don’t want to have disorder in their communities. And so we’re responding to the calls of residents. And those who are advocating that we should not do it, they should educate people on how to follow the process to be a vendor. 

You cannot have a state of disorder like we saw on the Brooklyn Bridge, like we’re seeing on Roosevelt Avenue, like we saw on Main Street. And we heard the other day at a town hall on Coney Island Avenue in the Bronx. People are concerned about that. They’re concerned about their communities turning into open air markets and they want the quality of life that they deserve. I don’t have vendors in front of Gracie Mansion. Why is that? Because it would not be tolerated. So if it shouldn’t be tolerated on the Upper East Side, it should not be tolerated in other parts of the city. We’re responding to the calls of the residents.

Question: To the first deputy mayor. You said a moment ago that you and the staff had gamed out a number of post-election scenarios. In so doing, what did you identify as the biggest risk to the city? And what are you most concerned about? 

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: In all of the scenarios, we started with what matters most to New Yorkers and what matters most to New Yorkers from the federal government are a number of issues, including that we have the resources that we need to improve the lives of people across the five boroughs. I mentioned some categories earlier from housing to education to health care. 

Regardless of who is in the White House, what we need from the federal government is significant and we’re to continue to advocate for that. We also have to make sure, given the challenges that we are facing in our city today, whether it’s the response to the humanitarian migrant crisis or climate change and our ailing infrastructure, that we have the type of partnership with the federal government to not just get those resources, but to have the types of policies and programs that allow us to move forward on those policy issues in the same way. 

So for each of the potential scenarios, some are constant like policy and like budget. And now our work as we anticipated is to make sure that, from this day forward, we are not just identifying what those risks are or opportunities, but that we’re working in partnership with different kindred spirits, coalitions of business and labor and other elected officiants, our New York delegation to fight for those things that matter most to the people who we serve.

Question: I don’t know if this is for the police commissioner or police chief. I guess under city laws, the law enforcement is not supposed to cooperate with federal authorities under certain immigration situations. I’m wondering if that has been reinforced and how do you guys plan to… I mean, there are migrant hotels and places around the city where there are just thousands of migrants. Is there any plan to protect those places if federal authorities do decide to come in and begin mass deportation? 

Chief Maddrey: So, the first part of the question, it’s something that we’ve been reinforcing for years. We don’t ask people about their status as being citizens, whether we’re taking a police report or making an arrest. We just do that in a fair manner and address the condition and the situation as needed. In terms of the migrant hotels, locations where people are living, we do provide security out there already. We provide security out there already and we’re going to stay in the same posture, just making sure that they’re safe, that they have a decent quality of life. And as things progress, I’m sure the mayor under his leadership, he’ll give us direction and we’ll address those things as needed.

Mayor Adams: Okay. Thanks, team. Thank you for being here. How are you? 

Question: Good, thank you. So I just want to ask you if you can be a little more specific overall about the migrant strategy of the city with the incoming president? Because for two years you asked President Biden for a decompression strategy and more funding, right? 

You said that without federal aid, the city wouldn’t be able to care for all these migrants. But even though Trump is anti-migrant, he’s also more sympathetic to the city’s play, potentially, right? Of having to care for them. 

So I didn’t hear you say today that you’re asking Trump for any more money or for the decompression strategy. Is that because you think he just wouldn’t agree to it? And is deportation just now a bigger concern than the cost of the migrants? That’s my first one. The second one is, did you call President Trump or reach out to him to congratulate him? 

Mayor Adams: No, I have not, I intend to do so. I can only imagine after a national election, your phones are probably ringing calls from all over. But, specifically dealing with the issue, my call remains the same. It didn’t matter to me who was in the White House. I’ve been consistent on my calls since 2023, if not earlier, that New York City and other big cities should not be picking up the cost of a national problem. 

And we need a decompression strategy at the border to make sure that we take control of this crisis and not have this crisis take control of us. There’s great opportunities if we give people the right to work, and I remain calling for that, as my immigration national leaders have been calling for and who commended this administration for calling that, and my fellow mayors are calling for the same thing. We’ve been consistent in this. The coalition has been the same.

Question: Is there any common ground, Mr. Mayor, between your position on the migrants and what you think the city needs and what you think President Trump would be willing to deliver to the city in terms of help?

Mayor Adams: Well, I think that that is what First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer was saying, that right now as the elections are over, and it’s about governing now, and it’s about not taking this posture of that we’re not going to communicate with Washington, D.C. Just the opposite. We’re going to communicate with Washington, D.C., just as we attempted to communicate with the previous administration on our 10 trips to Washington to talk about the impact of migrants and asylum seekers, and just as we talked about public safety in 2021 when I was the incoming mayor. I’ve been very consistent on these working people issues that impact our cities, and I’m going to continue to do that. It’s not going to change.

Question: Hi, Mr. Mayor. So just a little bit of a follow-up on that. Would you rather see a decompression strategy or do you rather see more funding? 

Would you rather see some of the migrants moved out of some of these shelters and maybe to other states, or would you like to see the federal government maybe cut you a check?

Mayor Adams: I want to see the federal government fix a federal problem. This is a federal problem. I cannot say that enough, and I think a lot of people don’t fully appreciate what impact this has had on the city because they weren’t up every night. They were not dealing with thousands of people coming into the city overnight, having to house them, the pressure of finding billions of dollars instead of going to those needs that everyday New Yorkers needed. We had to change the direction of those funding. I want the problem solved. A national problem should be solved by a national government. 

The mayor of Chicago and Denver and Los Angeles and Houston and New York should not be solving a national problem. So I want it solved. And if the question is asked, Eric, based on the months that you have been doing this, do you have some ideas that I did share with the previous administration? If they’re willing to hear my ideas, I’m willing to share them. There’s no reason we don’t have a decompression strategy at the border. Those who are paroled in go to municipalities where we need populations and allow them to assist those municipalities. We didn’t do that. And so I want the problem solved.

Question: Mr. Mayor, President Trump again has said that he would appoint Robert Kennedy to be his health advisor. Robert Kennedy has already said that he’s going to ask that fluoride be removed from the water facilities around the country. I wonder, as mayor of the City of New York, did you ask the vast reservoir system that supplies New York City to take fluoride out of the water or would you agree not to do that? 

Mayor Adams: I’m not too familiar with the whole conversation around fluoride, what makes it good or bad. We would turn that over, number one, to the state health department and the city department of health and mental hygiene. They’re the experts on this. I will lean towards them and see what the city’s position should be. But I think it’s imperative to allow the experts to make the determination of what we should do with our water supply.

Question: Dental experts have said that this could affect the dental health of children. And since you are the chief executive of New York City, the ultimate decision is with you. What would you do?

Mayor Adams: I will lean on to my experts, as I do in all of these circumstances. I have someone who’s in charge of the interim at the department of health and mental hygiene. She’ll do an analysis. And if we have the options of if we’re going to remove it or not, then we will make that determination based on their finding. 

If we don’t have that option, then we’re going to advocate with our federal partners to say why we shouldn’t do so. But let the experts give me the information, as they do in all of my briefings, so I can make the final decision if the decision lies with me. Okay, thank you.

Banner Image: Subway Surfing press conference. Image Credit – Mayor Adams