First 100 Days: Mayor Adams Lays the Foundations for a Safe, Ordered City

By Yehudit Garmaise

After campaigning on promises to restore public safety and civic order to New York City, and then serving his first 100 days in City Hall, the mayor conducted a series of interviews in which he was asked to assess his performance so far.

When reporters pointed out that major crimes are up by 36% and that New Yorkers are feeling more fearful in ways they have not in decades, Mayor Adams responded by saying that the problems that are causing the current crime surge are “decades in the making" and that "huge changes in public safety will take time."

“We are laying the foundations to move us to a safe city,” said Mayor Adams, who pointed out that since he came into office, the NYPD has removed 1,100 guns from the streets.

Since Jan. 1, the NYPD has, in particular, cracked down on “ghost guns,” or untraceable guns that are bought online and assembled at home.

The NYPD’s removal of 131 ghost guns from the streets shows a staggering 351% increase over the 29 ghost guns police officers recovered in the first three months of 2021, the New York Post reported.

Since the mayor launched Neighborhood Safety Teams just three weeks ago, the teams have made more than 100 arrests: 30 of which involved guns.

After Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday that the state’s 2023 budget included many changes to the 2019 bail reform that Mayor Adams had promoted to a legislature that was previously not particularly open to his ideas, the mayor said, “We have to really look at the success that were able to move Albany in the right direction. 

“[The Legislature] has taken steps to improve some of the crime issues around bail, but they have a long way to go.”

The mayor also was grateful that the NY Legislature included in its budget his People’s Plan, which will provide middle class families with millions of dollars, earned income tax credit, childcare, and other things that Adams claimed would also decrease crime.

When Adams was asked where the New Yorkers who are homeless are meant to go after 244 of their encampments have been removed and they are escorted off subways, the mayor said that in addition to leading five of those homeless people to shelters, “We are also creating many safe-haven beds for those who are dealing with mental health illnesses. And so, it is not that we are kicking them out of the subway system. We are being humane.” 

When Fox News asked the mayor what grade he would give himself so far, Mayor Adams said, “An 'I': for incomplete. There are things we have to do. 

“We are going to do our job.”

Photo Credit: Flickr