NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams vowed to follow through on his promises to crack down on crime Sunday as he touted recent drops in murders and shootings, although other forms of lawlessness are high.
Winning election on a tough-on-crime platform, Adams has made controversial moves like bringing back the NYPD’s plainclothes units.
“We’re going to continue to move forward. We’re going to turn this crime thing around,” he said on WBLS. “And when we do so, people are going to really see the progress we’ve made in other parts of the city.
“Crime has really taken all of the oxygen out of the room but once we do that, they’re going to see what we’re doing around education, around housing and some of the other important issues,” he added.
So far this year, murders are down nearly 8% and shooting incidents decreased more than 10%, compared with the same time frame in 2021, according to NYPD stats.
But both crimes are still at peak levels compared with pre-pandemic levels, and overall stats for major categories of crime that include robberies and assaults are up more than 37%.
Adams echoed critics of Albany’s controversial bail reforms, although expert opinions are mixed on whether releasing suspects for misdemeanors and some felonies is contributing to the city’s spike in crime.
“We took almost 3,800 guns off the streets, and many of the people who had carried those guns were able to return to the streets,” the mayor said.
He defended his administration’s crackdown on homeless encampments, which has drawn criticism from many advocates who say the city needs to provide housing for displaced people.
“If you go into the subway system now, you’re not seeing encampments anywhere. We moved a lot of those who were living in that inhumane condition — they’re now in shelters … moving in the direction of permanent housing,” Adams said.
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