Migrant Shelter Locations Closed, Kate Smith Announced As Director For Mayor’s Fund To Advance NYC, In-Person Media Availability, Successful Community-Driven Public Safety Strategies To Kick Off Public Safety Week, Flame, Firework Ban Lifted, Pilot Program To Improve Quality Of Life In Persistently High-Crime Areas: Transformation Of Fifth Avenue Into Pedestrian-Centered Boulevard:Mayor Adams

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL SHELTER CLOSURES, INCLUDING FLOYD BENNETT FIELD, AS MIGRANT SHELTER CENSUS HITS 22nd STRAIGHT WEEK OF DECLINE

Administration’s Asylum Seeker Management Strategies Have Helped  Lead to 22 Straight Weeks of Shelter Census Declines, $2.3 Billion in Savings

Between November 2024 and March 2025, Administration Will Have Closed 25 Shelters

Editor’s note: Staten Islander has previously reported on the migrant crisis, including Rep. Malliotakis’ appreciation of the closure specifically of Floyd Bennett Field. The mayor has also made several recent public safety announcements affecting residents of the City. We’ve also previously covered the plans to make Fifth Avenue more pedestrian friendly. You can see our article on saving water and what one person can do here. 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that — thanks to the administration’s successful asylum seeker management strategies that have continued to drive down the number of people in the city’s care and reduce costs — 25 shelters, including the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center at Floyd Bennett Field, are slated to close in the coming two months. Thanks to the administration’s successful advocacy for executive orders at the border by the Biden-Harris administration, which have significantly reduced the rate at which asylum seekers are arriving in New York City and seeking care, and the administration’s successful asylum seeker management strategies — including reticketing, case management, and 30- and 60-day notices — the number of asylum seekers in city shelters has decreased for 22 straight weeks and is now at its lowest point in over 17 months. New York state, which was paying the costs of sheltering migrants at Floyd Bennett Field, will continue to reimburse New York City for costs for equivalent care incurred at other sites across the city. Earlier this year, Mayor Adams announced that the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center at Randall’s Island will close on February 28.

“Thanks to our smart management strategies, we’ve turned the corner, and this additional slate of shelter closures we’re announcing today is even more proof that we’re managing this crisis better than any other city in the nation,” said Mayor Adams. “Our intensive case management, paired with 30- and 60-day policies, have helped more than 170,000 migrants take their next steps on their journeys, because migrants don’t come here to live in our shelter system — they come here to pursue the American Dream. We’re going to continue looking for more sites to consolidate and close, and more opportunities to save taxpayer money, as we continue to successfully manage this response.”

“At the height of this humanitarian response, the Floyd Bennett Field activation served as a relief valve to provide critical shelter and resources to hundreds of families at their greatest time of need; and it has continued to serve as an integral component of the unprecedented system we established to receive and care for the more than 225,000 asylum seekers who walked through our doors,” said Mayor’s Office of Asylum Seeker Operations Executive Director Molly Schaeffer. “Today’s announcement is a direct reflection of the tireless commitment of our teams and the tremendous work they do every day to ensure that people are ready to move on to the next steps in their journeys to self-sufficiency. New York City continues to lead from the front.”

Recent and upcoming shelter closures in New York City include:

• El Rancho Hotel, Bronx
• Floyd Bennett Field Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center, Brooklyn
• Hotel RL, Brooklyn
• Imperial Hotel, Brooklyn
• Sleep Inn, Brooklyn
• 97th Street Dorms, Manhattan
• Americana Inn, Manhattan
• Hotel Merit, Manhattan
• Randall’s Island Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center, Manhattan
• Upper West Side Dorms – Amsterdam Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center, Manhattan
• Upper West Side Dorms – Stratford Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center, Manhattan
• The Essence at JFK, Queens
• JFK Respite Center, Queens
• Quality Inn JFK, Queens
• Voyage Hotel, Queens

Recent and upcoming shelter closures outside of New York City include:

• Holiday Inn Express, Albany
• The Ramada Plaza, Albany
• SureStay Plus Best Western, Albany
• Red Roof Inn Plus, Amherst
• Ardsley Acres Hotel Court, Ardsley
• Best Western Inn, Buffalo
• Quality Inn, Buffalo
• The Crossroads Hotel, Newburgh
• Red Roof Inn Plus, Poughkeepsie
• Central Motel Courtyard, White Plains

Since the first buses of asylum seekers arrived in the five boroughs in 2022, New York City has continued to focus on building the structures needed to help migrants take their next steps towards self-sufficiency. The city’s Asylum Application Help Center — a first-in-the-nation entity — has helped complete nearly 87,000 applications for work authorization, temporary protected status, and asylum. Over 70 percent of eligible adults in the city’s care either have or have applied for work authorization. The city has also purchased 47,000 tickets to help migrants reach their preferred destinations and help reduce long-term costs for New York City taxpayers. Additionally, staff have conducted over 700,000 case management sessions with migrants dedicated to helping them identify self-sufficient pathways out of city shelter, in addition to implementing the city’s 30- and 60-day notice policies. As a result, more than 170,000 migrants who requested services from the city have taken the next steps in their journeys towards self-sufficiency. Since intensive case management services began in October 2023, 42 percent more families with children in humanitarian centers each week have taken their next steps. Additionally, over the last budget cycle, Mayor Adams successfully reduced the city’s asylum seeker spending over Fiscal Year 2024 and Fiscal Year 2025 by nearly $2.3 billion.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES KATE SMITH AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR’S FUND TO ADVANCE NEW YORK CITY

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment of Kate Smith as the executive director of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. A seasoned leader in nonprofit development, Smith brings a wealth of experience in strategic fundraising, community engagement, and organizational growth. With a career dedicated to advancing the missions of a wide array of impactful organizations, Smith’s leadership will drive the Mayor’s Fund’s continued commitment to addressing the city’s most pressing challenges.

“The Mayor’s Fund is on the frontlines of moving our city forward on countless critical issues, from a generational humanitarian crisis to advancing gender and racial equity. To meet these pressing challenges and priorities, our city needs a seasoned professional with the right skillset to get the job done — and Kate Smith is that person,” said Mayor Adams. “Kate brings decades of experience from the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, along with a proven track record of success, and, under her leadership, I’m looking forward to seeing the legacy-defining work that matters most to New Yorkers continue at the Mayor’s Fund.”

“Kate Smith’s appointment as executive director of the Mayor’s Fund marks an exciting new chapter for the organization. Her extensive experience in nonprofit leadership coupled with her unwavering commitment to community impact make her the ideal person to drive our efforts forward,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana J. Almanzar. “With Kate at the helm, the Mayor’s Fund will continue to serve as a vital partner in addressing the city’s most pressing challenges, expanding opportunities, and ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to the resources they need to thrive.”

“On behalf of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City Board of Advisors, I am thrilled to welcome Kate Smith as our new executive director,” said Rob Speyer, chairman, Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City Board of Advisors. “Kate brings expertise in fundraising coupled with an unwavering commitment to the betterment of New York City. Her leadership will be instrumental in navigating the challenges and opportunities before us. I look forward to working with Kate in the years to come, and to all she will accomplish in this role.”

“I am thrilled to join the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and thanks to Mayor Adams for this opportunity,” said Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City Executive Director Kate Smith. “As a lifelong New Yorker, I am excited to contribute to making our great city even greater and ensuring every New Yorker enjoys the best quality of life. My 30 years of experience in education, fundraising, and leading impactful organizations have prepared me for this role, and I am eager to make a meaningful difference for all of our communities.”

The Mayor’s Fund is a not-for-profit organization that works with 50 city agencies and offices, 300 institutional funders, and 100 community-based partners. The Mayor’s Fund and its partners advance initiatives that improve the lives of New Yorkers from all walks of life and across all five boroughs. In particular, the Mayor’s Fund has made strategic investments to promote mental health services for all New Yorkers, increase workforce development opportunities for young New Yorkers, and meet the needs of New York City’s diverse immigrant community.

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About Kate Smith

Kate Smith brings more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Before joining the Mayor’s Fund, Smith was the executive director at Runway of Dreams, an organization that empowers people with disabilities by integrating and including them in the fashion and beauty space. Previously, she spent seven years at the American Red Cross as director of individual giving and foundation partnerships — spearheading innovative fundraising initiatives, as well as advocacy and volunteer engagement.

Prior to the American Red Cross, Smith worked at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy as director of institutional advancement, fostering donor relationships and overseeing major tentpole fundraising efforts. Smith’s efforts led to the conservancy consistently fundraising over $1 million each year during her tenure. Before joining the conservancy, Smith worked at the Guggenheim Museum, where she championed fundraising for pioneering programs like Learning Through Art, and served as a Sackler Educator, crafting and leading museum education programs for children and teens.

In addition to her professional work, Smith has actively served on several boards as a development chair for organizations including the Brooklyn Autism Center, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, the Community Roots Charter School, and ShineSmall.

Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Trinity College-Hartfod and a Master’s degree in Education at the University of Michigan.

Smith will report to Deputy Mayor Almanzar.

“Having worked closely with Kate Smith, I can confidently say that her exceptional fundraising and partnership-building skills are matched only by her deep commitment to community-driven work,” said Nancy Webster, executive director, Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy. “Kate played a pivotal role in developing key relationships and securing major funding for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, allowing us to advance our vision for public programming in the Park. Her collaborative approach, combined with a sharp understanding of both public and private sectors, will serve her well in her new role as executive director. Kate’s leadership will undoubtedly lead to transformative growth and success.”

TRANSCRIPT: MAYOR ADAMS HOLDS IN-PERSON MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Mayor Eric Adams: Good afternoon, and I’m joined here today by our chief of detectives and the police commissioner and chief of department because we have a strong person of interest in the shooting that shook our city last week. Our CEO, Brian Thompson of United Healthcare, was the victim of a senseless act of violence. Our officers have been working around the clock. Many of them did not go home to pursue this individual. It was crucial that we were able to remove him off the streets of America, and we were going to seek him out no matter where he was at the time.

And so this is a strong person of interest. The police commissioner and chief of detectives will go over where we are right now in the investigation. He matches the description of the identification we’ve been looking for. He’s also in possession of several items that we believe will connect him to this incident.

How did we do it? Good, old-fashioned police work. The chief of detectives and the police commissioner made the decision to release as much of a photo that we’ve that we had at the time. We sent it across the country and someone, a McDonald’s employee, did something we ask every American to do. If you see something, say something, but most importantly, do something. And they did. And because of that, we believe we have a strong person of interest to deal with in this case. I want to now turn it over to the police commissioner of the City of New York, Commissioner Tisch.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch: Thank you, mayor. Good afternoon, everyone. Earlier this morning in Altoona, Pennsylvania, members of the Altoona Police Department arrested Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old male on firearms charges. At this time, he is believed to be our person of interest in the brazen, targeted murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, last Wednesday in Midtown Manhattan.

The suspect was in a McDonald’s and was recognized by an employee who then called local police. Responding officers questioned the suspect, who was acting suspiciously and was carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport. Upon further investigation, officers recovered a firearm on his person, as well as a suppressor, both consistent with the weapon used in the murder. They also recovered clothing, including a mask consistent with those worn by our wanted individual. Also recovered was a fraudulent New Jersey ID, matching the ID our suspect used to check into his New York City hostel before the shooting incident. Additionally, officers recovered a handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset.

NYPD detectives are en route to Pennsylvania as we seek to interview the subject further. This apprehension is thanks to the tireless work of the greatest detectives in the world, and of course, the strong relationships we have with our local law enforcement partners. On every level, local, state, and federal, we all serve the same public safety mission. And this case, which captured the attention of an entire nation, is another example of how connected we are and how important it is to work together, share information, and pursue every lead.

For just over five days, our NYPD investigators combed through thousands of hours of video, followed up on hundreds of tips, and processed every bit of forensic evidence, DNA, fingerprints, IP addresses, and so much more to tighten the net. We deployed drones, canine units, and scuba divers. We leveraged the domain awareness system, Argus cameras, and conducted aviation canvases. And our detectives also went door to door, interviewing potential witnesses, and doing the good old-fashioned police work that our investigators are famous for. This combination of old-school detective work and new-age technology is what led to this result today.

And we must also acknowledge the instrumental role the media and the public played in this case. The images that we shared with the public were spread far and wide, and the tips we received led to the recovery of crucial evidence. We should never underestimate the power of the public to be our eyes and our ears in these investigations. This is the third time in three weeks that a member of the public has seen something, and said something, and done something that led to a high-profile arrest. The triple-stabbing homicide in Manhattan, the gunpoint robberies in Queens during which an NYPD officer was shot, and now this.

Now, the case will continue through the criminal justice process, and while we are proud of today’s accomplishment, we must of course remember that a family is in mourning. I want to again extend my sympathies to Brian’s family, his co-workers, and all who knew him.

Finally, I want to thank the women and men of the NYPD, especially our Detective Bureau personnel, with a strong assist from our intelligence analysts. We also thank the SAC of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Leslie Rodrigues-Backschies, and I want to commend the staff of the Manhattan DA’s office, and especially DA Alvin Bragg. He has been working with us 24-7 on this case, and I am incredibly grateful for his partnership. I’ll now pass it along to our great Chief of Detectives, Joe Kenney, who will provide additional information. Chief.

Chief Joseph Kenny, Chief of Detectives, New York City Police Department: Thank you, commissioner. Good afternoon. As the commissioner stated earlier, a male was taken into custody today at Altoona, Pennsylvania, this morning. He has been identified as Luigi Nicholas Mangione. He’s a male, 26 years old. He was born and raised in Maryland. We know he has ties to San Francisco, California, and his last known address was Honolulu, Hawaii. He has no prior arrest history in New York.

Members of the NYPD Detective Bureau are currently traveling to Pennsylvania with members of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to interview this subject. This case was brought to a successful conclusion based on the coordinated effort between numerous NYPD units, including the Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau, our federal partners at the FBI, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and, of course, members of the Altoona Police Department in Pennsylvania.

On Thursday, one day after this crime was committed, the NYPD released a photo of the shooter. In this case, this picture was obtained by the NYPD during one of their extensive video canvases. We took that photograph, and we asked for the public’s help in identifying this subject, and the public responded. Hundreds of tips began to pour into our hotline. Each tip was investigated thoroughly, and we began to release additional photographs as they came into our possession. The NYPD provided these photos to numerous media outlets. Local, national, and international outlets released the photo via television, print, social media, and online content.

Luckily, a citizen in Pennsylvania recognized our subject and called local law enforcement. Members of the Altoona Police Department responded to the call, and based on their investigation, they notified the NYPD. This investigation is still active and ongoing. Thank you very much.

Question: I had a couple of questions about the document that he was found in possession with. Can you go a little bit more in depth about those motivations that you mentioned? Was that CEO specifically named in that document? Was there anything more about him wanting to go after others?

And also in that document, was there any indication that explains how– the level of detail that he went into killing him? Like, is there anything–

Chief Kenny: That document is currently in the possession of the Altoona Police Department as part of their investigation. But just from briefly speaking with them, we don’t think that there’s any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document, but it does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America.

Question: Chief, was the suspect wearing a mask at the time he was spotted in the McDonald’s? And also, criminal cases often have a linchpin. Can you point to a single linchpin that helped crack this case?

Chief Kenny There’s numerous linchpins in this case, and the fact that we’ve recovered an enormous amount of forensic evidence, an enormous amount of video. And once again, with your help and the public’s help. So I couldn’t, I really couldn’t put it on one thing, but if I had to, it would be the release of that photograph from the media.

Question: You said he had a passport on him. Do you believe he was trying to flee the country? And also, are you still looking for any evidence in Central Park in regards to the bike?

Chief Kenny: We had divers in the water yesterday that came up with negative results. The passport, we don’t believe that he was planning on doing any traveling. At this point in our investigation, we don’t think he was trying to flee the country.

Question: The person at the McDonald’s, were they buying food? What were they doing at that exact moment?

Chief Kenny It was an employee at the McDonald’s.

Question: Right. But what was the suspect doing?

Chief Kenny: He was sitting there eating.

Question: Will the suspect be brought back to New York and charged here? And when?

Chief Kenny: We’re going to have to work that out with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office [and] Altoona, Pennsylvania. He’s going to be facing gun charges there, and at some point, we’ll work out through extradition to bring him back to New York to face charges here, working with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

Question: Hi, Aneeta from the New York Post. I was just hoping to get more details on the capture itself. Did he put up a fight? Did he say anything to cops? And we’ve also reported that he published online anti-health care industry rantings. Can you share with us some of the services that he posted on? We’re still working

Chief Kenny: We’re still working through his social media. We’re going to do a complete scrub of that. Preliminarily, like I said, he seems that he had some ill will toward corporate America, but that will all come out as part of our investigation. We’re not done here. We’re still going to be putting this together. We’re still going to be working very hard to bring this to a successful conclusion.

Question: In the capture itself, did he put up a fight? Did he say anything to police?

Chief Kenny: I don’t have that information.

Question: Can you elaborate on how he got there? The path he took from Port Authority and the George Washington Bridge to Altoona, PA? Same thing.

Chief Kenny: Same thing. This just happened this morning. We’ll be working, backtracking his steps from New York to Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Question: I was gonna ask him if he knew anything. If he took a bus to Philadelphia first and then somehow got to Altoona.

Chief Kenny: We’re still working on that. We’re still working through that.

Question: Is there any indication that anybody else was helping him from the inside? You know, as far as tracking the CEO’s movements.

Chief Kenny: Once again, we’re still working this investigation very hard. It’s not at his conclusion yet that could come out during our investigation. But as of right now, we have no indication that that took place.

Question: Chief, did he have any weapons or anything like that with him when he was arrested?

Chief Kenny: He was in possession of a ghost gun that had the capability of firing a nine millimeter round and a suppressor.

Question: Can you get into a little bit about the technical aspects of the investigation? I know you deployed an unprecedented amount of technology. You also activated the century program through Intel. Can you talk about how that is gonna play into actually building the case as far as cell phone and all of the other technical aspects of what you’ve done?

Chief Kenny: In this case, it really came down to technology was the use of drones in Central Park and really comes down to the video canvas that we did. We used every source of video that we could collect hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours from hundreds of sources, and that helped bring this to where we are right now.

Question: The gun, is it believed to be the gun he used in the shooting? And there was some talk that it was a veterinarian type of gun. Is that accurate?

Chief Kenny: Right now the information we’re getting from Altoona is that the gun appears to be a ghost gun. May have been made on a 3D printer, with the capability of firing a nine millimeter round. Obviously, that will come out during our ballistics testing.

Question: Do you have any indication like how long this, like handwritten– is it a handwritten manifesto that you found on the suspect? And then also whether or not he put it online at all?

Chief Kenny: Don’t know if it’s online. As of right now, it’s a handwritten three page document.

Question: Chief, does he have ties to that area? And was he someone who you knew by name before the arrest?

Chief Kenny: We believe he may have attended college in Pennsylvania. But like I said earlier, he has ties to Maryland and California and Hawaii.

Question: Was his name on your radar? Was he someone who you had been looking into before his arrest?

Chief Kenny: No, we did not have his name prior to today.

Question: Does he have any priors? I know there were none for New York City, but is there any priors anywhere else in the country?

Chief Kenny: We have not come across any arrests in the country.

Question: On two things. On the ghost gun, is it something you’re gonna be looking into to see he made it himself. Can you make that himself? Or is that– would you have to buy the gun the way it was?

Chief Kenny: No, but, once again, that would be part of our investigation as we follow up.

Question: I mean, obviously, he’s gonna face murder charges, but is there any chance that he could face any other charges because he was targeting the CEO and because of his writings and other things that we’re now finding? On federal charges?

Chief Kenny: That determination will be made by Alvin Bragg.

Question: What connection does he have in Pennsylvania? Are they in Altoona specifically?

Chief Kenny: We believe he attended college in Pennsylvania.

Question: Does he know anybody in Pennsylvania?

Chief Kenny: I wouldn’t be able to tell you that.

Question: You talk about the manifesto having said things against corporations, but specifically United Healthcare. And do you believe that Mangione acted alone?

Chief Kenny: We believe at this point our investigation is leaning toward he was acting alone. Like I stated earlier, we’re still we’re still working through the investigation. We’re not stopping today.

And as far as the manifesto, like I said, I don’t have the complete details of that. It’s in the possession of the Altoona Police Department.

Mayor Adams: Good job. Commissioner. Chief Maddrey. Again, great job by the New York City Police Department. Certain aspects of this investigation and the crime itself is something that we have been zeroing in on, ghost guns.

We have really talked about this since the beginning of the administration. They could be made on a 3D printer and they are extremely dangerous and we must do more on the federal level to clamp down on the availability of ghost guns.

And it just really leads into just the top headers of what we did last week and what we’re doing this week. This week is all about public safety. Public safety, I’ve stated over and over again. it’s a prerequisite to our prosperity, and we’re going to continue to make this city a safe city. Safest big city in America. But anytime you have a crime of this magnitude, it shocks us and it really has a major impact on the perception of crime in this city.

Crime has continued to go down. We’re going to continue to do what’s needed. Today we announced an every block count initiative and the blocks that we identified since October, they have not had one shooting or one shot fire job that came over. We’re going to add that on to our community link operation that has resulted in over 1000 operations and over 700 complaints resolved, nearly 16,000 summonses issued. There were 200 people placed in shelter. Our community link initiative is extremely important. It operates every day across the city, removing ghost cars, targeting illegal vendors, and addressing the everyday problems that make new yorkers feel unsafe.

The precincts where we have focused on our every block count is the 73rd precinct in Brooklyn and the 46th precinct in the Bronx. These two precincts have historically seen high rates of violent crimes and shooting incidents. And so we want to make sure we deal with all of those quality of life issues that impacts why criminal behavior takes place. We don’t don’t want to only to be reactive, we want to be proactive.

Hats off to the team. It’s a big belief on my part, you have to dismantle the historic walls that kept us from operating together. FDNY, DSNY, DOB, DEP, HPD, NYCHA, Parks, DOT and other community based organizations are all part of this initiative with the local block CEO. And many, many more agencies.

You know, last week we announced Axe the Tax for the working class. We’re really pleased with this initiative. $62 million will be going back to those who had 150 percent of poverty line. When you add that with our earned income tax credit and the other initiatives that we put in place, it clearly shows how important it is for us to focus on low income, working class people. We really want to thank Senator Leroy Comrie and State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn for carrying the bill. So Amaris, why don’t we open the floor to a few questions?

Question: Other good news today, Daniel Penny was found not guilty of the killing of Jordan Neely. I wanted to get your thoughts on that.

And then another question, last week on our morning show, you left the door open seemingly to rejoining the Republican Party. I wanted to know why you didn’t say you’re a proud Democrat. Do you find issues with your own party?

Mayor Adams: First, as I stated when this incident first happened with Jordan, that’s my son’s name. And these incidents that happened in the city, is not only professional, but they’re personal. And we take that with us. Jordan should not have had had to die. And I strongly believe, as I’ve been stating, probably from day one, we have a mental health system that is broken. When you have someone repeatedly going through that system, that’s a signature of failure. And we need help in Albany and in the City Council. We can’t sit back and mourn the loss of someone that is caught up in the system when we’re not taking the action every day. But a jury of his peers heard the case, saw all the facts and all the evidence and made a decision. And I joined DA Braggs in stating that I respect the process.

Question: And then my second question, last week, in leaving the door open about joining a Republican Party on our morning show. Why didn’t you say you’re a proud Democrat? Do you find issues with your own party?

Mayor Adams: No. It’s amazing how things takes legs and create their own creative writing style. I never stated that I was not running as a Democrat. I ran as a Democrat, as a senator, as a borough president, as a mayor, and I won. I’m running as a Democrat. I was on Channel 11 and they asked the same question. I said the same thing.

I am true blue, but I’m also a true blue collar mayor. And the American people, in general, but specifically here in the city of New York, they’re tired of this squabbling after campaigns are over. I don’t think anything is more infuriating than, while you are dealing with everyday crises, people are having an intellectual conversation of parties.

When I took office as a police officer and as an elected official, I pledged allegiance to the United States of America. That’s what I said on your show. And how did I run? That’s just the nature of the creativity that comes from your industry. I ran as a Democrat. I’m going to run as a Democrat, and I’m going to win as a Democrat like I did the last time.

Question: I was wondering if you could follow up on another comment you made over the weekend about potential of invoking executive action to override the council on Sanctuary City Law. Can you give us any other details about what you’re considering doing? I think you expressed why, but any details about any new policy you’re presenting?

One quick follow up to Kelly’s question. Do you think the verdict in the Daniel Penny case says anything about the mood of the city? And do you feel like it opens the door for maybe more of these interactions of people taking, uh, justice?

Mayor Adams: Good question. And I’ll answer the latter first. Of what you see, of what people often do, a lot of people make interpretations, you know, about trials, but juries are in the courtroom. They’re hearing every piece of evidence, they are hearing the testimonies. They have to make the decision. And that’s the system that we have. And actually, it is probably one of the best systems on the globe. And I think the jury’s heard the evidence and made a determination based on the evidence that they heard. And the… does it impact what’s going to happen throughout the city that people are not going to take action or going to take action? I don’t think it does.

I think that oftentimes people make these decisions when they are in the midst of it. And there’s a desire of New Yorkers to help out those who are in need. There’s a desire of New Yorkers to always respond when they believe it’s necessary. And I don’t think that is going to change in any way. This is not the first time, and I’m sure it’s not going to be the last time that individuals take actions and people are going to question about those actions that happened.

But at the cornerstone and at the heart of this is that, of this young man, like so many others that are on our subway systems, I made it clear that’s not a place to sleep, to live. That’s not a place to be. And when they need help, we need to give them the help of that they have. What was your first question?

Question: Any more details about—

Mayor Adams: The sanctuary city. They have not been unclear about this. I’ve been extremely clear. I’ve said it over and over again. I said it last year sometime. The part of the law that the City Council, they have refused to change, that we cannot communicate with ICE when people commit serious violent acts. I disagree with that. That was not the sanctuary city law that Mayor Koch put in place. It was not the sanctuary city law that Mayor Bloomberg did.

The previous administration made a major change, and there was a report over the weekend where council person stated that. Why don’t you just open up the, the federal ICE office on Rikers Island? We can’t. It’s… right, right. So, you know, one should know what the law is and what the law isn’t. And if I had legal standings to overturn that law, then that’s the conversation I want to have with the corp counsel. When we feel the law is unjust, we go to our corp counsel and say, do we have legal standards? We’re not going to do frivolous lawsuits just to say we’re doing a lawsuit.

Question: [Inaudible.] Because there is a list of crimes where someone committed them. You can’t release a detainee if ICE has a judicial warrant. So is it a matter of adding more crimes? Is it a matter of what you just mentioned, allowing ICE to work on city property? Any specifics you can give us?

Mayor Adams: My directions to the corp counsel was to give me my options on what I could do as the mayor and what EOs I can actually put in place. They are looking through the options. They’re extremely clear on my feelings about people who harm innocent New Yorkers and people who are migrants and assignment seekers. I’m clear on that no one in this city should be the victim of a violent crime. And so they’re looking at that. And once we make a determination, I can circle back.

Question: I just wanted to circle back on to the Daniel Penny verdict. Should the governor remove District Attorney Alvin Bragg after losing this case, which you previously signaled is a case that should not have been brought forward. And then I just wanted to follow up with, is the jury’s decision a reflection that New York is sick of a soft on crime justice system?

Mayor Adams: No, she should not remove D. A. Bragg. The people voted for the district attorney. We have a process. I am totally against using mechanisms to overstep the boundaries of the electeds. And so no. And we’ve had great partnership with the district attorney and some of the things that we have done in the city. And we look forward to continue to do that.

New Yorkers have always been tired of things that allow people who commit violent acts to be part of a revolving door system. You know, I talked about this over and over again that we need to deal with those who are repeatedly dealing with carrying out violent acts and those who need help. I mean, 18 percent 18 to 20 percent of those on Rikers Island have severe mental health issues. 51 percent have mental health issues. That’s why my call of using one of the four jails that were open it to turn it into a state of the art psychiatric facility. We could do a better job, and we could do better resources and it can’t be waiting till these incidents happen. Then everybody stands up and say something is wrong. We need to stand up before something happens.

Question: When you meet with Tom Homan this week, are you planning to talk with him about migrants who are living in the shelter system? And do you plan to express anything to him about the threat of deportation about your concerns about people who are here who are law abiding?

Mayor Adams: We’re gonna have a host of conversations, but at the root of my conversation is how do we secure our border? I want to share some of my strategies. We need a real decompression strategy. It’s important to go after those who are committing serious crimes, particularly those dangerous gangs that have come from Venezuela. And now we’re finding them on the streets of our country. And I’m interested to hear his ideas on how we’re going to go about that. And I’m excited about the conversation.

Question: On the… I understand you’re saying, you respect the process. I’m just wondering if you think this is the right verdict. You said last week that you wanted the jury to reach the right verdict. You also said last week that Mr. Penny did quote what we should have done as a city in his interaction with Jordan Neely. I’m just wondering if you can elaborate a little bit on what you meant by that.

On a totally different issue. There was a mayoral forum over the weekend, specifically about housing, where three candidates committed to freezing the rent, more or less directing the rent guidelines for not to do an increase next year. Is that something you would support? And if not, why? And on these mayoral forums, you didn’t show up to this one. Are you gonna show up to any of these? Or why do you keep skipping?

Mayor Adams: First, do I think it’s the right verdict or the wrong verdict? The jury made the decision. I respect like the D.A. I respect the process. And that was the process. And what I was saying about, we should have been standing up for those passengers. That’s what we should have done for the city and standing up for those passengers means addressing the mental health crisis we have in the city and not just wait until incidents like this happen. And determination of him that he stood up rightfully or wrongfully that came in front of the jury of his of his peers.

What was your first your second question? Yeah, we got many forums that are going to take place. And, you know what I’ve learned when I was campaigning, a lot of people talk about the ideas of what they can do, what they want to do. One thing no one can say I did it. All the things that I said for the most part that I was going to do from dyslexia screening to reducing tax on low income New Yorkers to bringing down crimes to high speed broadband for NYCHA residents to investing in foster care children to do tax incentives for low income New Yorkers, to turn around the unemployment rate. I can give you the whole list.

So what they’re doing is wishful thinking. I put the team together to make it happen for housing conversion. And I’m happy to hear that they all have woke up and realized we have a housing crisis and now they’re coming up with visions. But it’s starting from the fact we had the most comprehensive housing reform in the history of the city. That’s what we gotta remind everybody and all those who are running that that are elected already. The question should be, where have you been?

So if you had all these visions before, don’t wait until you decide to run for mayor. We’re doing it. And so good luck to them. And I’m looking forward to some of the forums and some of the debates. I’m looking forward to them because I have something to run on, not just a dollar in a dream.

[Crosstalk.]

Question: Mr. Mayor. So this morning the City Council and public advocate filed a lawsuit over your suspension of the local law or intuitively, you know, solitary confinement bill. You know, I’m just wondering what your reaction is to that. They’re trying to prevent you from… setting that law…

Mayor Adams: And it would be played out in courts. We just have a difference of opinion here. First of all, [] we don’t have a solitary confinement, you know, and I don’t know why they keep saying that we don’t have a solitary confinement. And, I’m not a hard guy to figure out. I made it clear over and over again, public safety.

And I don’t go to Rikers Island just to, you know, have a photo op. You know, when I went on Thanksgiving Day, it was to talk to the correction officers and the inmates. It was to walk through and see, are we making progress? I’ve been on Rikers Island more than any man in the history of this city.

And my job is to make sure correction officers are safe. The civilian employees are safe and inmates are safe. 80 percent of those who are assaulted on Rikers Island are assaulted by other inmates. And I need to make sure that they’re safe. And the way the law, the law was written, it jeopardized their safety. And we took necessary steps after communicating with the corporation counsel and the court to make that decision.

Question: Yeah, Mayor Adams, with the CEO shooting, there was a constant stream of updates, surveillance images, crime stop alerts, TV news spots, requests from, for information from the NYPD. But I wanted to ask you about the killing of a migrant teenager last week in the financial district.

A group of men attacked him and another migrant after reportedly asking him whether he spoke English or not. What updates do you have in that case? And do you have images of the suspects in that case? And if so, why haven’t those been publicized as we saw in this other case? And has the same amount of police resources been spent on his death as the CEO’s death?

Mayor Adams: The first and foremost, of the fact pattern that you just described about asking, did he speak English? That was not in any of the reports. That was not in any of the interviews because specifically ask the investigators and the commissioner. And that wasn’t in any documentation or any of the interviews that took place.

Any loss is a huge, huge loss. And the aspect of that incident that is slightly different from what was reported and is currently receiving the necessary manpower to bring the person to justice. And we don’t believe a loss or a death of innocent life should be ignored. But when you have a specifically targeted shooter, we didn’t know if this person was going to carry out additional shootings. We didn’t know if this person was a serial shooter. We didn’t know what we had. We knew we had to take him off the streets of the city.

So, the urgency was not so much that was he a CEO in comparison to someone that’s a low income New Yorker. No, it’s not. We did not know what we had and what was going to be the extent of that. And as it was just mentioned, some of the preliminary reporting that the chief gave us is that he was showing a total what appeared to be a distaste for corporate America. So we didn’t know what was next. And we did the necessary decision to make sure we brought this person to justice and took him off the city, the streets of New York.

[Crosstalk.]

Question: So on the man believed to be the suspect here. One of the reasons why you guys got a good look at him is because he was able to pull his mask in the hostel. Just wondering if this has prompted you to renew your call to have people not wear masks when they go inside businesses.

My second question is, you said that you’re gonna run as a democrat, but you said you’re also a blue collar mayor. Do you feel like the Democratic Party [has] strayed away from its blue collar roots?

Mayor Adams: You know, last, I think it was last year, early this year, you know mayor’s dog years. We called to say when you go into businesses and establishment, ask people to temporarily remove their mask. We could, we can close these cases in hours when everyone will cooperate and just say temporarily pull down your mask. You don’t have to permanently take it off. But once you get that video, once you get that picture, then you are in a good place.

And we’re going to ask our Uber, Lyft, taxis, all of them to act the same. You get inside someone’s taxi, someone’s cab, someone’s for hire vehicle, you should have that person pull down their mask so you can see who they are. And many of our vehicles have cameras inside that would assist us greatly to apprehend the person involved and send the information across the country. And so I will continue to advocate a very smart, simple way of having a great tool for, for law enforcement. And we want to continue to do that.

Question: And then the second question, you said that you’re gonna run as a democrat—

Mayor Adams: I think that we are not doing a good job in speaking to working class people. And I’ve said this over and over again. And I said, pre election that our conversation is and must be as what we’ve attempted to do in this administration from housing to bring down the cost of childcare to all the other initiatives.

We wanted to speak to working class people. And that’s what I hear from working class people every day. And while they are hurting, they don’t want this intellectual conversation that I believe the party started to started to do. You look at what we did here in New York, of the minority leader in Congress, Hakeem Jeffries was able to secure many of his seats here because of those candidates, they were having a working class people conversation. And that’s what I think the party needs to do.

Question: About the mask ban, I know that the governor has also been talking about pushing for a ban. Maybe in some ways you’ve talked about. Would you go to some kind of legal, [inaudible] something you present for City Council?

Mayor Adams: I think it’s a combination from our preliminary review is a combination from the City Council and a combination from the state. We had a ban in place and it was removed after COVID. I think we need to re-examine having that put back in place. And I know the governor has voiced some interest in it. And I think that what we saw here, it is… maybe this would give the wind in the sail to bring this home. One thing is clear that, you know, thank God, this person didn’t go out and harm other individuals. The longer he stayed on the streets, the more dangerous it could have been.

Question: Just wanted to clarify something. You talked about this last week too. Would you prefer to see an undocumented person who’s accused of a violent crime… Would you prefer to see that person serve out their sentence before being handed over to federal authorities? Or would you be willing to hand them over to federal authorities before that verdict and before the sentencing is announced?

Mayor Adams: My desire is to give the member of the public who’s the victim of that crime. They should serve their sentence. I want to hear what the border czar, what his ideas are, because justice is making sure that person served a sentence.

If that person commits a serious violent act and he’s automatically cut loose, we could find that person back on our streets and you could find that person. Not every country would make sure that person serves out his time.

If there’s a way to have an agreement that they serve out their time in that country, I can live with that. But I think a family member who lost a loved one who was viciously assaulted, who was harmed in serious ways, particularly our seven major crimes. They should get some sort of justice. And many of our borders and other countries lacks in ensuring that that person does not come back into our city.

Nothing would be more horrific that a person commits a serious crime and that person is immediately released without serving that time. And that family is not receiving the justice and they come back on our streets. That’s why we have to secure our border.

Builds on Record-Accomplishments Making New Yorkers Safe With Major Crimes  Down in 2024, Over 19,000 Guns Removed from Streets, Over 1,300 Illegal Cannabis Stores Closed, Subway Crime Down 6.3 Percent Year-to-Date 

NEW YORK – To kick off “Public Safety” Week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released, “Safer Together: The Adams Administration’s Approach to Community-Driven Public Safety,” outlining the results of the administration’s approach to public safety by delivering multi-agency responses to communities dealing with persistent quality-of-life concerns. “Public Safety” Week will be a weeklong highlight of the Adams administration’s community-driven public safety models, unveiling new and ongoing efforts to keep New Yorkers safe and improving their quality of life. In addition to highlighting neighborhood-by-neighborhood responses, key indicators of the report show the administration’s multi-agency response efforts resolved nearly 730 complaints, issued over 15,900 summonses, and conducted over 1,070 operations since launching in May 2023.

 

These results build on double-digit decreases in murders and shootings in 2022 and 2023, over 19,000 guns removed from the streets since the start of the administration, over 1,300 illegal cannabis shops sealed in 2024, and overall crime in the transit system down 6.3 percent year-to-date — successes which are also highlighted in the new report.

 

“Our administration is committed to making New York City a safer, more affordable city, and working-class New Yorkers are both seeing and feeling the results of our relentless efforts every day,” said Mayor Adams. “Our community-driven approach, as embodied in successful programs like ‘Community Link,’ shows how we are working in partnership across agencies to address the concerns of every neighborhood across the city. As demonstrated in this report, our community-driven efforts have conducted over 1,070 operations, resolving over 730 complaints and issuing over 15,900 summonses. Our agencies continue to be diligent in addressing the problems that make communities feel safer, such as closing over 1,300 illegal cannabis shops, removing 19,000 guns from our streets, seizing over 7,000 illegal ghost cars, and making our subways safer with steady year-to-date crime declines. It is because of these successful administration-wide efforts that we have seen major crime drops in 2024 and we continue to make New York City a safer, more equitable, and more vibrant city for all.”

 

“The approach this administration takes to any challenge is to come together at one table to come up with a unified, creative solution,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker. “New Yorkers shouldn’t have to navigate a maze of agencies to see real action on persistent issues in their neighborhoods. We are streamlining our efforts and working closely with communities to make it easier for residents to see meaningful, lasting improvements.”

 

Community Link

 

Core to the Adams administration’s public safety efforts are community-driven programs, such as “Community Link,” a rapid governmental response initiative that identifies neighborhoods facing chronic and complex quality-of-life issues and organizes the right combination of agency, community, and external stakeholders to collaboratively address them. By taking a concentrated multi-agency approach and embedding them with community partners, Community Link works to address the root cause of pervasive issues and delivers the resources and services communities need to achieve meaningful progress. The central Community Link team coordinates with local police precincts and deploys multiple agencies into neighborhoods on a daily basis to address discrete problems, such as illegal vending; illicit cannabis shops; abandoned property and encampments; unkempt parks and streets; derelict vehicles; illegal ghost cars, dirt bikes, ATVs, mopeds, and pedicabs; loitering and disorderly groups; noise complaints; sanitation issues; illegal substance use activity; and more.

 

Additionally, the administration has launched seven “Community Improvement Coalitions,” which have and continue to receive a sustained level of enforcement and coordination. These include 125th Street, 110th Street Corridor, Midtown West, East 14th Street, Washington Square Park, “The Hub” in the Bronx, and Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. With a focus on delivering services and offering support to the those in need, over 4,800 individuals were engaged by homeless outreach teams and over 200 were placed in shelter across these hubs alone.

 

Led by the New York City Police Department (NYPD), city agencies participating in Community Link operations include the Fire Department of the City of New York, the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health, the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB), the New York City Department of Design and Construction, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), the New York City Department of Small Business Services, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), and the New York City Sheriff’s Office. In addition, operations often include external partners, such as the New York State Police, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and various District Attorneys’ offices.

 

Besides performing routine operations in response to complaints across the five boroughs, Community Link conducts sustained outreach and enforcement in seven areas, known as “Community Improvement Coalitions.” Highlights of these operations include:

 

• Midtown West: Over 600 clients engaged and 74 clients placed in shelter by DHS; over 12 scaffolding structures removed and seven DOB violations issued; and increased NYPD presence and dedicated outreach team through NYPD’s neighborhood coordination officers.

• East 14th Street: Over 95 clients engaged and six clients placed in shelter by DHS; 10 mobile food vendor inspections; dedicated NYPD foot patrol; and three NYPD light towers installed.

• Washington Square Park: Over 1,480 clients engaged and 39 clients placed in shelter by DHS; over 85 hypo-needle removals; and one NYPD light tower installed.

• Roosevelt Avenue in Queens: Over 190 clients engaged and 10 clients placed in shelter by DHS; over 6,900 summonses issued across agencies, including over 3,500 quality-of-life summonses; over 172 building inspections; and 270 vendor inspections.

• “The Hub” in the Bronx: Over 880 clients engaged and 47 clients placed in shelter by DHS; 11 inspections and increased garbage collection by DSNY; outreach conducted by four DOHMH-contracted service providers seven days a week; and over 390 NYPD summonses issued.

• 125th Street:  Over 680 clients engaged and six placed in shelter; seven NYPD light towers added; additional police officers placed; DOT repaired numerous street lights and installed three new light poles; DSNY increased frequency of litter basket collection; and multiple graffiti clean-ups.

• 110th Street Corridor: Over 920 clients engaged and 27 clients placed in shelter by DHS; daily canvas inside Central Park and permitter at North Woods; and increased police and parks officer patrols.

 

Every Block Counts

 

Several blocks in New York City are historically home to disproportionately larger public safety issues. “Every Block Counts ” is a data-driven multi-agency and community partnership that aims to permanently transform the conditions and culture on residential blocks that have historically seen high-levels of crime and quality-of-life issues. Every Block Counts’ pilot program has directed resources to specific blocks in NYPD precincts with the highest number of serious violent crimes, in particular shooting incidents, beginning with five blocks each from the 46th Precinct in the Bronx and the 73rd Precinct in Brooklyn. The pilot program launched in October 2024 where multiple agencies worked together with community members and a “Block CEO” — who represents their neighbors — to create a safer, cleaner, more livable environment for residents based on each block’s immediate needs.

 

Since launching in October 2024, Every Block Counts has identified a total of 146 issues across the 10 blocks and resolved 111 of those issues. In the 73rd Precinct over the past 56 days, there has not been one shooting or a single shots fired incident on one of these five blocks, compared to three shootings or shots fired incidents during the same period in 2023. Major crime has also decreased by 55 percent on those blocks. Likewise, there has not been one shooting or a single shots fired incident on the included blocks in the 46th Precinct, compared to four shootings and shots fired incidents in 2023.

 

Addressing Gun Violence

 

In January 2022, Mayor Adams announced the “Blueprint to End Gun Violence,” which laid out his priorities to immediately address the crisis of guns on New York City streets. Pursuant to the blueprint, in March 2022, the NYPD launched its Neighborhood Safety Teams to focus on gun violence prevention in areas that account for a disproportionate amount of citywide shootings.

 

Mayor Adams’ comprehensive gun violence strategy also includes upstream solutions guided by the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force established in June 2022, which focuses on diversion programs, prevention efforts, and expanded opportunities for young people — all targeting the root causes of gun violence to ensure a safer environment for all New Yorkers. The task force’s commitments are formalized in the “Blueprint for Community Safety,” an investment of nearly $500 million to create safer, more resilient communities, with a focus on intervention and prevention.

 

The Adams administration also leads the Gun Violence Strategies Partnership, a 30+ multi-agency law enforcement partnership focused on strengthening investigations and prosecutions of the most severe gun offenders who drive violence in New York City. Members of the team meet every weekday morning to review felony gun violence arrests from the previous 24 hours and share intelligence to ensure perpetrators are held accountable and New Yorkers are kept safe. The partnership, which will convene its 800th consecutive meeting this month, has reviewed more than 670 cases year-to-date, resulting in bail or remand set on an average of 85 percent of individuals at arraignment.

 

Because of the administration’s steadfast focus on reducing gun violence, shootings have trended downward since January 2022, and more than 19,000 guns have been removed from New York City streets since January 1, 2022, with nearly 6,000 removed just this year alone.

 

Operation Padlock to Protect

 

The Adams administration successfully advocated for municipalities to be given the regulatory authority by the state to shut down illegal cannabis shops plaguing city streets. Immediately after, the administration launched “Operation Padlock to Protect,” a vigorous effort aimed at shuttering operators near schools and houses of worship that targeted children and prevented the creation of a flourishing legal cannabis market.

 

Since launching in May 2024, Operation Padlock to Protect has closed down over 1,300 illegal cannabis shops and confiscated an estimated $86 million of illegal products, including thousands of pounds of illegal vapes.

 

Subway Safety

 

In February 2022, Mayor Adams launched the Subway Safety Plan to address public safety concerns and support people experiencing homelessness and severe mental illness on New York City subways. In addition to launching the Subway Safety Plan, in the fall of 2022, Mayor Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul deployed an additional 1,200 police officers to subway platforms and trains each day. Following the end of that deployment in 2023, earlier this year, Mayor Adams directed the NYPD to surge an additional 1,000 police officers into the subway system each day to help keep New Yorkers safe and bring overall crime in the transit system down.

 

These safety efforts are paying off, with overall crime in the subway system down 6.3 percent year to date, with a 15.8 percent drop in November. And, last year, overall crime in the transit system fell by nearly 3 percent compared to 2022, as the number of riders increased by 14 percent. Since the start of the Subway Safety Plan, over 8,000 New Yorkers have been connected to shelter, with over 700 now in permanent affordable housing.

 

Ghost Cars

 

In March 2024, Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber launched a multi-agency, city-state ghost car task force. The task force includes the NYPD, the New York City Sheriff’s Office, MTA Bridge and Tunnel officers, the New York State Police, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department. Then, in September 2024, Mayor Adams launched the Ghost Car Task Force with the NYPD and DSNY to target illegally-parked cars on city streets. Fifteen NYPD officers were assigned to parked ghost car removal under the direction of the DSNY, freeing up space for New Yorkers who follow safety and regulatory requirements.

 

Since launching the Ghost Car Task Force, the administration has removed 7,000 illegal ghost cars.

 

“Public safety is paramount in ensuring a robust and prosperous city, and the ‘Safer Together’ initiative demonstrates the power of collaboration and community-driven solutions,” said New York State Senator Leroy Comrie. “By addressing quality-of-life concerns through a coordinated, multi-agency approach, the Adams administration is showing real results — ensuring that New Yorkers not only feel safe, but also see tangible improvements in our neighborhoods. I commend Mayor Adams for prioritizing the closing of illegal smoke shops in Southeast Queens using inclusive strategies that make our communities safer and stronger for everyone.”

 

“We are laser focused on a city where all New Yorkers live in safety and dignity,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “During this ‘Public Safety Week,’ we celebrate the success of our community-driven strategies to tackle crime: double digit decreases in homicides and shootings, a 6.3 percent decrease in subway crime, 19,000 guns off our streets, and 200 unhoused New Yorkers stabilized. I am proud of my part in tackling crime, passing the SMOKEOUT Act to empower the city to padlock the illegal smoke shops. In a matter of months, we closed over 1,300 of these hotbeds of crime. Together, we will continue our work to make the safest big city in America even safer.”

 

“I’ve been working tirelessly for the past three years to address the illegal activity in my district,” said New York City Councilmember Francisco P. Moya. “Mayor Adams and myself are the only elected officials taking action to restore quality of life to District 21. With the implementation of ‘Operation Restore Roosevelt,’ action is now being taken with the assistance of multiple agencies to restore quality of life. In just two months of this effort, we have seen improvement and will continue to work to restore safety in our communities.”

 

“Public Safety is a team sport, and we need all agencies working together with the community to effectively improve our city’s quality-of-life,” said Tom Harris president, the Times Square Alliance. “The Community Link program has worked directly with the Times Square community to address challenges that cross agency boundaries like the illegal pedicabs, rogue vendors and illegal cannabis shops. We applaud Mayor Adams on all the successes this program has had.”

MAYOR ADAMS LIFTS FLAME AND FIREWORK BAN AMID REDUCED FIRE RISK; URGES NEW YORKERS TO CONTINUE CONSERVING WATER

 

Recent Rainfall Has Reduced Fire Risk, Leading to End of Statewide Burn Ban

 

Call for Water Conservation Comes as City Reservoir Levels Remain Significantly Below Historical Averages 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) Commissioner Robert Tucker, and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue today lifted the temporary citywide ban on open flames and fireworks following recent rainfall in the five boroughs. Starting Monday, December 9, 2024, the previous ban barring New Yorkers to grill in New York City parks is lifted, and any permit holder who previously requested to have fireworks displays or open flames can work with the relevant city agency to update their permit. While that rainfall has reduced fire risk sufficiently to lift the city’s open flame and firework prohibitions, it has not been nearly sufficient to replenish upstate reservoirs. The city remains in a drought warning, and city agencies continue to implement their water use reduction plans. New Yorkers should continue to do their part in saving water wherever possible. Mayor Adams and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala first issued a drought watch back on November 2 and upgraded it to a drought warning on November 18.

 

“While we’ve received enough rain in the five boroughs to lift our fireworks and open flame ban, I want to be clear, we’re nowhere near out of the woods yet,” said Mayor Adams. “New Yorkers who get permits for these activities should enjoy them, but we need you to use the utmost levels of caution to prevent fires and keep our parks safe. And the rain we’ve received isn’t nearly the additional foot of rain we’d need to replenish our upstate reservoirs, so we need all New Yorkers to continue conserving water whenever you can.”

 

New Yorkers should continue to minimize water usage where possible, and Mayor Adams reminded New Yorkers of the following ways they can conserve:

 

• Report open fire hydrants and street leaks to 311. An open hydrant can release more than 1,000 gallons per minute, which wastes 1.4 million gallons of drinking water in a 24-hour cycle.

• Don’t flush the toilet unnecessarily. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), toilets are by far the main source of water use in a home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of an average home’s indoor water consumption. Each flush can use 1.6 gallons, with older models using as much as six gallons.

• Take shorter showers, saving five to seven gallons a minute. When taking a bath, fill the tub only halfway and save 10 to 15 gallons.

• Don’t run the tap while shaving, washing hands, or brushing teeth. Faucets use two to three gallons per minute.

• Fix leaks. A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year, according to the EPA.

• Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when full. Use short cycles if available. Turn off the water while washing dishes.

• Install water-saving fixtures, including low-flow toilets and showerheads, as well as faucet aerators.

• Sweep driveways and sidewalks clean rather than washing them down with a hose.

• For even more ideas, visit DEP’s Water Savings Tips website.

 

New York City has been successful in conserving water for decades. The city’s average daily water demand has decreased by approximately 35 percent over the past several decades, even as the city’s population has grown by more than 1 million people. During its peak, in 1979, the city’s average water usage was 1.5 billion gallons of water a day. Thanks to improved management strategies — systemwide leak detection and repairs, replacing old meters with automated meter readers, and providing an online platform for customers to track and monitor water usage and quickly detect leaks in their buildings — the city now uses just 1.1 billion gallons a day on average, and under 1 billion gallons during the winter months.

 

DEP manages the nation’s largest municipal water supply system, which provides high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.3 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels, and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs.

 

All New Yorkers should subscribe to Notify NYC for up-to-date information. A drought warning is the second of three levels of water conservation declarations from the city. As conditions evolve, the city may declare a drought emergency, which involves escalating requirements on government agencies and New Yorkers to reduce water usage.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES PILOT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PERSISTENTLY HIGH-CRIME AREAS, ROOT OUT CAUSES OF SYSTEMIC VIOLENCE AND DISORDER

 

“Every Block Counts” Drives Multi-Agency Resources to Individual Residential Streets with Historically High Crime Levels

 

Pilot Program is Latest Initiative by Adams Administration to Increase Safety Through Inter-Agency Collaboration, End Gun Violence in New York City

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker today announced the launch of a comprehensive new pilot program to address historically high rates of violent crime and disorder on specific blocks all across New York City. “Every Block Counts” is a data-driven multi-agency initiative that focuses on blocks that have historically seen high levels of shooting incidents, crime, and quality-of-life issues. Chosen blocks are provided intensive support and resources in an effort to reduce crime and restore lasting safety and livability. The pilot program launched in October 2024, where multiple agencies are working together to create a safer, cleaner, more livable environment for residents based on each block’s immediate needs.

 

“Every New Yorker deserves to live in a neighborhood that is safe, where the streets and sidewalks are clean and well-lit, where street signs are clear and easy to read, and where you are safe from gun violence and other crime — and have a good quality of life. ‘Every Block Counts’ is our latest initiative to do all that by increasing cooperation between city agencies and ensuring that our city works better for everyone,” said Mayor Adams. “We came into office with a clear mission: to make New York a safer, more affordable city for every New Yorker, and we will not rest until we have accomplished that mission — block by block, street by street, with every agency giving their all for the people of New York City.”

 

“Every neighborhood in New York City deserves to be safe, but true safety goes beyond reducing crime — it’s about ensuring people feel safe in their homes, on their streets, and in their daily lives,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Parker. “The ‘Every Block Counts’ partnership is a strategy that is laser-focused on a small number of blocks that have had to endure high levels of crime, particularly violent crime, and disorder for many years. Together, under the mayor’s leadership, we are building multi-agency and community partnerships to transform the safety and quality of life on those blocks — permanently.”

 

“The launch of our ‘Every Block Counts’ initiative is yet another step this administration is taking to ensure we’re making New York safe for all of its residents. We continue to make strides in our efforts to not only respond — but lead with comprehensive, community-driven solutions that ensure no neighborhood is overlooked or underserved,” said Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack. “By fostering cross-agency collaboration and targeting areas of greatest need, ‘Every Block Counts’ exemplifies a precise, solutions-oriented approach to public safety. With initiatives like this, I am confident that we will not only respond to challenges but set the standard for what it means to be the safest big city in the nation.”

 

The Every Block Counts pilot program directs resources to specific residential blocks in NYPD precincts with the highest number of violent crimes, in particular shooting incidents. Out of those precincts, the pilot program has focused on five blocks from each of the two precincts with the most shooting incidents over the past five years: the 46th Precinct in the Bronx and the 73rd Precinct in Brooklyn. Those are three blocks on Morris Avenue, Elm Place, and Walton Avenue in the 46th Precinct in the Bronx, and Bristol Street, Christopher Avenue, Dumont Avenue, Lott Avenue, and Mother Gaston Boulevard in the 73rd Precinct in Brooklyn.

 

The city is leveraging resources from multiple agencies to support these blocks, including but not limited to the NYPD, the Fire Department of the City of New York, the New York City Department of Buildings, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York City Housing Authority, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and the New York City Department of Transportation.

 

Since the beginning of the pilot program, Every Block Counts has already achieved tangible results. In the 73rd Precinct over the past 56 days, there has not been one shooting or a shots fired incident on one of these five blocks, compared to three shootings and shots fired incidents during the same period in 2023. Major crime has also decreased by 55 percent on these blocks. Likewise, there has not been one shooting or shots fired incident on the included blocks in the 46th Precinct, compared to four shootings and shots fired incidents in 2023.

 

Out of a list of 146 items identified by residents in partnership with city agencies that needed to be addressed on each block, to-date, the initiative has resolved 111 issues. These action items included repairing street and park signage, cleaning public spaces, removing graffiti, and repaving sidewalks.

 

The pilot program focuses on the resources and services needed to ensure continued safety and order in the area. In order to assess the program’s effectiveness in reducing violence, an analysis of this block-by-block approach will be incorporated into the NYPD’s CompStat system to track its success.

 

Each street included in the pilot program has a designated “Block CEO,” a resident who volunteered to represent their neighbors as a liaison to city officials. The Block CEO provides regular status updates on progress and communicates ongoing concerns and suggestions from the community. In partnership with the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau, the Block CEO ensures residents remain informed and engaged, fostering a collaborative approach to addressing the unique needs of each block.

 

Every Block Counts is the latest initiative by Mayor Adams’ administration to break down silos between government agencies and work toward a common goal of making New York City even safer and improving quality of life. In May 2023, the administration launched “Community Link,” which directs multi-agency rapid responses to address complex and often chronic community complaints about quality-of-life issues. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Parker, together with the NYPD, also leads the Gun Violence Strategies Partnership, a 30+ multi-agency law enforcement partnership focused on strengthening investigations and prosecutions of the most severe gun offenders who drive violence in New York City. Members of the team meet every weekday morning to review felony gun violence arrests from the previous 24 hours and share intelligence to ensure perpetrators are held accountable and New Yorkers are kept safe. The partnership has reviewed more than 670 cases year-to-date, resulting in bail or remand set on an average of 85 percent of individuals at arraignment.

 

Today’s initiative also furthers Mayor Adams’ goal to end gun violence in New York City. In his first month in office, in January 2022, Mayor Adams released the “Blueprint to End Gun Violence,” which laid out his priorities to immediately address the crisis of guns on New York City streets. Pursuant to the blueprint, in March 2022, the NYPD launched its Neighborhood Safety Teams to focus on gun violence prevention in areas that account for a disproportionate amount of citywide shootings. As a result of these efforts, in Mayor Adams’ first two years in office, New York City experienced double-digit decreases in homicides and shootings. Homicides and shooting incidents have continued to decrease, year-to-date, in 2024 compared to 2023. Since Mayor Adams took office, the NYPD has also taken more than 19,000 guns off the streets, with nearly 6,000 guns removed so far in 2024.

 

“The ‘Every Block Counts’ initiative is a vital step toward ensuring that every neighborhood receives the resources and support needed to protect the safety and well-being of our residents,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “For far too long, certain communities in the Bronx and across New York City have endured the consequences of violence and neglect. This initiative is focused on those neighborhoods most in need, providing targeted support to foster safer, healthier, and more resilient environments. Every resident deserves to feel safe in their own community, and through this data-driven approach, we are reaffirming our commitment to restoring safety, dignity, and opportunity for all. I want to thank Mayor Eric Adams, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker, and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch for their leadership and dedication to public safety.”

 

“The ‘Every Block Counts’ initiative will bring much-needed resources to neighborhoods in the Bronx that are often left behind and face the greatest quality-of-life and crime issues,” said New York State Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia. “Our communities deserve focused attention and meaningful investments to address public safety and quality of life. By focusing on specific blocks, like those along Morris Avenue, we can create lasting improvements that benefit residents and enhance the overall well-being of these neighborhoods.”

“Data is one of the most powerful tools to address public safety on our streets,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “CompSTAT allowed us to make immense strides in reducing crime, elucidating hotspots and trends so we can efficiently allocate resources where they are needed. ‘Every Block Counts’ is the next chapter in data-driven policing, taking a laser focus to the blocks with high levels of shootings. Multiple agencies come together to bring all the resources needed to make these blocks safe, clean, and welcoming. Together, we are doing everything we can so that the Greatest City in the World is the Safest City in the World.”

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES INITIAL $150 MILLION+ INVESTMENT IN TRANSFORMATION OF FIFTH AVENUE
INTO WORLD-CLASS, PEDESTRIAN-CENTERED BOULEVARD 

Plan Includes Widened, Greened Sidewalks, Prioritizing Pedestrians, and Expanded Public Space 

Investment Will Strengthen Historic Corridor’s Economic Engine and Job Creation, Making New York City More Affordable by Providing Good-Paying Jobs for Working-Class New Yorkers 

Fifth Avenue is Responsible for 313,000 Jobs, $44.1 Billion in Wages, $111.5 Billion in Economic Output 

Since 2022 Project Launch, Corridor Has Seen Nearly $4 Billion in Real Estate Sales, Showing Significant Enthusiasm in Future of Fifth

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced an initial $152.7 million city investment in the city and the Future of Fifth Partnership’s plan to transform Fifth Avenue between Bryant Park and Central Park into a world-class, pedestrian-centered boulevard —  bolstering the iconic corridor’s status as a catalyst for economic growth and job creator for New York City. The proposed design expands sidewalks by 46 percent, shortens pedestrian crossings by a third, reduces the number of traffic lanes from five to three, and adds plantings and lighting to make for a more walkable, greener, and safer boulevard. This initial investment will cover the entire design and the beginning of construction. It will also include much-needed underground sewer and water main upgrades, which will enable underground and aboveground work to be done concurrently and efficiently. The Fifth Avenue Association will continue this public-private partnership with additional investments in this project.

Once complete, this project — the first major redesign in the avenue’s 200-year history — is projected to pay for itself in less than five years through increased property and sales tax revenue. It will also bolster Fifth Avenue’s status as a job and wealth creator for all five boroughs. Mayor Adams made the announcement as he concludes “Affordability Week,” a week where he highlighted numerous generational projects that will make life more affordable for working-class New Yorkers and put money back into the pockets of working-class New Yorkers.

“Fifth Avenue is an economic powerhouse for New York City — it fuels more than 300,000 jobs and $44 billion in wages,” said Mayor Adams. “That’s well-earned money in working peoples’ pockets — and with the $150 million initial investment that we’re announcing today, we’re supercharging that. Our transformation of Fifth Avenue will double pedestrian space, add more trees and seating, and do so much more — and it’ll pay for itself within five years of completion through increased tax revenues. Fifth Avenue isn’t just about the people shopping at the stores — it’s about the people who work there, too, and this investment will put money in their pockets, making this city more affordable for hard-working New Yorkers. This is a huge win for New York City, and I’m grateful to the Fifth Avenue Association, Grand Central Partnership, Central Park Conservancy, and Bryant Park Corporation, as well as our local elected officials, for their partnership throughout this generational project.”

“Fifth Avenue is the very heart of the holiday season. As we kick off the third annual holiday streets and the iconic boulevard’s 200^th birthday, we also celebrate the commitment of over $150 million to make improvements above and below ground,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “I want to thank all the groups along the corridor that came together to help design the Future of Fifth.”

Fifth Avenue is currently 100 feet wide, comprised of five lanes of vehicular traffic and two 23-foot sidewalks. Even though pedestrians make up 70 percent of all traffic on the corridor, sidewalks account for only 46 percent of the space. Each block serves approximately 5,500 pedestrians an hour on an average day and up to 23,000 people an hour during the holidays — the equivalent of a full Madison Square Garden plus 4,000 additional people. The current configuration can no longer accommodate this volume of foot traffic, especially given that only 15 feet on either side is unobstructed for walking; the rest is occupied by street infrastructure like signage, bus stops, lighting, and trash cans.

The new design nearly doubles the width of the sidewalks to 33.5 feet each, expanding clear pedestrian space to 25 feet on each side and adding another 8.5-foot-wide section for trees, planters, and an alternative pedestrian path. These changes will reduce crossing lengths by more than a third, boosting pedestrian safety along the avenue. Beyond rebalancing Fifth Avenue’s space to reflect its usage, the new design also greens the corridor with more than 230 new trees and 20,000 square feet of planters, new seating and activation space, better lighting, and more. Greening Fifth Avenue will create additional shade cover to protect against heat and innovative stormwater infrastructure to prevent flooding. The design draws inspiration from Fifth Avenue’s historic landmarks and art deco influences, heightening the iconic architectural features integral to the avenue’s visual identity. It is also inspired by other iconic shopping street redesigns, including the Champs Elysees in Paris; Calle Serrano in Madrid; Bond, Oxford, and Regent Streets in London; and Ginza in Tokyo. The effort builds on the core tenets of the “New” New York action plan, which identified public space as a key force for the city’s economic recovery.

Mayor Adams’ $152.7 million investment has been fueled by the project and its anticipated economic impact. Fifth Avenue has long been a major driver of economic opportunity for New York City. The avenue is responsible for 313,000 direct and indirect jobs, which, in turn, generate $44.1 billion in total wages and $111.5 billion in total economic output each year. Moreover, since Mayor Adams announced this project in December 2022, Fifth Avenue has experienced an unprecedented wave of investment in commercial renovations, record-breaking sales, and leasing activity. Since 2023, there have been more than 10 commercial real estate sales on Fifth Avenue, totaling $3.9 billion. And while the street has made huge strides in rebounding from the pandemic, with 80 percent of foot traffic having returned, this project will help propel this growth and attract more people back to this vital stretch of Fifth Avenue for decades to come.

Last year, the Adams administration launched the Future of Fifth public-private partnership, which brings city agencies together with the Fifth Avenue Association, Grand Central Partnership, Central Park Conservancy, and Bryant Park Corporation to further this project. The group selected firms Sam Schwartz and Field Operations to lead the design and study, and schematic design is underway and slated for completion by the summer of 2025.

“There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays and the 200^th birthday of Fifth Avenue than pedestrian packed streets,” said Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu. “As Fifth Avenue looks forward to its next 200 years, we will be continuing our work to redesign and rebalance the iconic street into a world class, tree-lined, pedestrian boulevard.”

“Our Future of Fifth Partnership plan will transform the iconic corridor into a pedestrian-friendly epicenter of unprecedented activity. Inspired by the Holiday Season open streets that generated $3 million in additional consumer spending, the reimagining of Fifth Avenue will remove traffic lanes, expand sidewalks by 46 percent, and add much-loved greenery to our concrete jungle,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “We will enhance pedestrian safety while boosting foot traffic and commercial activity to new heights. This $150 million investment is a wise one, expected to generate so much added property and sales tax revenue that it will pay for itself in under five years. From Central Park to Bryant Park, Fifth Avenue will become one of the most vibrant urban hubs in the world.”

“Fifth Avenue is among our most heavily used corridors by pedestrians, bringing workers, shoppers, and visitors from across the city and the world. Massively expanding pedestrian and sidewalk space on Fifth Ave will make for a safer, more sustainable, more enjoyable boulevard for pedestrians,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “While there is still work to do to ensure this plan will meet the needs of all travelers and users of the streetscape, this initial investment is a major step forward in this new vision. I’m looking forward to working with the Future of Fifth Partnership, City Hall, DOT and local stakeholders to bring a new era to this famous avenue.”

“Fifth Avenue is a global icon, and this transformation is a bold step towards ensuring its future as a pedestrian-friendly, dynamic hub for all New Yorkers and visitors alike,” said New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. “This investment not only enhances safety and accessibility but also strengthens Fifth Avenue’s role as an economic powerhouse, creating jobs and fostering community engagement. I applaud the Administration for their leadership and commitment to reimagining one of our city’s most beloved corridors.”

“This historic investment is the start of a brand-new chapter for Fifth Avenue that will see this iconic street transform from an outdated and over-crowded road, into a beautiful tree-lined boulevard that puts pedestrians first, befitting of the most famous avenue in the world,” said Madelyn Wils, interim president, Fifth Avenue Association, and co-chair, Future of Fifth Steering Committee. “Every holiday season, our sidewalks are heaving with people spilling into the roadbed and Fifth Avenue can simply no longer accommodate the people on it. We are grateful to Mayor Adams and his administration for championing a bold and thoughtful plan that will breathe new life into Fifth Avenue for workers, businesses, shoppers and all New Yorkers.”

“There’s no question that this significant financial commitment represents the administration’s concrete commitment to advancing this new vision for Fifth Avenue,” said Fred Cerullo, president and CEO, Grand Central Partnership. “We look forward to continuing to work with the city and our midtown stakeholders on the next phase of this project which will provide more open spaces for pedestrians and promote increased economic activity along this iconic corridor.”

“Fifth Avenue has a proud history as one of the most iconic boulevards in the world, and with this investment its future will be just as bright,” said Betsy Smith, president and CEO, Central Park Conservancy. “We commend Mayor Adams for working with stakeholders to create a plan that will transform Fifth Avenue into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly boulevard that will stretch from Central Park to Bryant Park and provide a new, tree-lined corridor in the heart of Manhattan for generations to come.”

Renderings of the Future of Fifth Avenue. Image Credit: City Hall

Renderings of the Future of Fifth Avenue. Image Credit: City Hall

Renderings of the Future of Fifth Avenue. Image Credit: City Hall

Banner Image: Future of Fifth renderings. Image Credit – City Hall

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