These days, the chatter from City Hall seems to revolve around Mayor Eric Adams weaving his old hat as an NYPD officer back into his current role. With early voting less than 90 days away, he’s placing his reelection hopes on declining crime stats, claiming that he’s made New York a safer place and can keep that momentum if granted another four years.
At a press conference shortly before the July 4th holiday, Adams exclaimed, “We’ve got 100 fewer shootings this year compared to last year at this time,” emphasizing that crimes like robbery, burglary, and grand larceny have dropped for six consecutive months. When he compared the present stats to those from when he took office in 2021, he noted that shootings have plummeted by a staggering 54 percent. “These figures speak for themselves!”
However, casting the spotlight on public safety may not secure Adams a victory. While the crime statistics are trending downwards, things aren’t as rosy as he makes them out to be. More significantly, he’s sidestepped addressing some very serious claims of cronyism, bribery, misconduct, and more at high levels of the NYPD.
While it’s undeniably good to see fewer shootings and related fatalities, recent crime statistics indicate a distressing uptick in other areas, like a 21 percent increase in rapes and nearly a 6 percent rise in felony assaults over the past two years. Conservative commentator Rafael Mangual sent a warning through the New York Post, stating, “While we’re seeing some downward trends, it’s a mistake to take this for granted.”
Adams’ advocacy for the NYPD overlooks significant failures. My neighborhood in Crown Heights, for example, faced terror last summer due to a mass shooting during the West Indian American Day Parade involving a man leaping over police barricades. That day ended tragically with Denzel Chan’s death and several others injured; misleading accusations were leveled against a 15-year-old, which the police later corrected only after significant media scrutiny, demonstrating failures in the department’s accountability.
Overall, a troubling cloud looms over Adams as five recent lawsuits target him and high-ranking NYPD officials, claiming meddling in police operations, breaking protocol, and covering up wrongdoings. The lawsuit filed by former police commissioner Tom Donlon states, “The New York City Police Department, under Defendant Adams, functions as a racketeering enterprise,” exposing alleged widespread illegal practices.
Numerous complaints from senior officers indicate that issues were reported directly to Adams, only to be ignored. His reactions have been somewhat dismissive, reflecting a typical “nothing to see here” stance. He claims an enduring public love for the police is essential to acknowledge, admitting he tweaked systems but denied rampant corruption in the department.
A significant challenge for Adams emerges from recent polling. A current Emerson College survey shows voters listing housing affordability as their primary concern, with crime lagging behind, which doesn’t bode well for Adams’ campaign. Appearing stronger in the minds of voters is Zohran Mamdani, actively promoting affordable housing.
On the other end, former governor Andrew Cuomo is upping his focus on public safety as well, asserting that crime is among the top issues and committing to hiring 5,000 more officers. Similarly, Curtis Sliwa, a Republican candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels safety patrol, believes he’s the key to addressing crime.
However, if the public’s concern about safety doesn’t seem pressing, the election messages from Adams, Cuomo, and Sliwa could fall flat. Perhaps the recent efforts by the NYPD, for all their shortcomings, have responded enough to crime that citizens are now more inclined to switch focus to pressing matters like rent costs and food prices.
