April 9, 2024
Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy, Communications: Thank you to our audio specialist for making that on his own. Good morning everybody. My name is Fabien Levy and I serve as deputy mayor for Communications for the City of New York. Thank you all for joining us for our weekly in-person media availability. Before we begin today, I want to take a minute to recognize the thousands of public servants across our city government who mobilized quickly to keep people informed and safe following Friday's earthquake.
Our team at Emergency Management, along with City Hall leadership, quarterbacked the response from dozens of city agencies and thousands of city employees. The NYPD deployed drones to inspect our city's bridges, the FDNY handled an uptick in 911 calls and OTI handled an uptick in 311 calls. The Department of Buildings headed out across the city to make sure our buildings were safe and stable, and dozens of other city agencies did so much more. It was truly a whole of government response.
30 years ago, I lived through the 6.7 Northridge quake in California. It was the deadliest quake the U.S. has experienced in the last 35 years. At least 57 people died. It was one of the most damaging earthquakes in the last 100 years in United States history. While there's obviously a difference between 6.7 and 4.8 on the Richter scale, I'm incredibly grateful to our city's workforce for having the safety measures in place to keep us safe and being ready to handle anything that came their way.
We had no deaths, no serious injuries reported, and no major problems with our city's infrastructure and they kept New Yorkers informed. Keeping New Yorkers informed is one of the top priorities for our administration, not only during emergencies but every day. That's why the mayor has once again convened senior leadership today to answer your questions and address important issues.
Joining us today are Mayor Eric Adams, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Chief Advisor to the Mayor Ingrid Lewis‑Martin, Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom, Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana Almanzar, Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Tiffany Raspberry. Without further delay, I'm pleased to turn it over to Mayor Adams.
Mayor Eric Adams: Thanks so much, Fabien. We said every week it's the same. Our mission is very clear. Protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make this city more livable for all New Yorkers, particularly working-class New Yorkers. We're delivering on that promise every day. We can see it around the city, and we're going to continue to move ahead and forge ahead and communicate directly to New York just like we do with our town halls, our older adult town halls, and our youth town halls.
I say over and over again, public safety and justice are the prerequisite to our prosperity. If you are safe, you can really build on that and continue to make this city the great city that it is. While overall crime has dropped every month this year so far and is down year to date, public safety is about more than just crime stats. It's about protecting New Yorkers, including young people, any way possible. That's why last week our administration announced a lawsuit against 12 wholesalers for their part in the illegal sale of flavored disposable e-cigarettes to teenagers.
They are targeting our teenagers and there are still long-term health impacts that have yet to be revealed on how this is going to impact them. Nicotine addiction among middle and high school youth is exploding, thanks in no small part to the actions of businesses like the 11 defenders. They target young people by using colorful, child-friendly cartoon characters packaging on e-cigarettes. City previously banned flavored e-cigarettes, so we will not allow the greedy, harmful, and openly illegal behavior to allow this to return and come back.
They're clearly trying to circumvent the law, and we're going to make sure that we fight them with everything we have. It's unimaginable if Jordan was being raised in a time like now, all the fight we did to make sure he didn't smoke cigarettes, and now our children have to go up against people who are targeting them with colorful cartoon characters. We have to fight them to stop this from becoming pervasive in our community. We've recovered all of the private sector jobs, as we say over and over again, because that's how you rebuild the city, employment.
We are accomplishing that, accomplishing and recovering all the private sector jobs during the pandemic. We cannot forget that too many communities are left behind and that is why the team is doing the hiring halls where we're going on the ground. We were in Brownsville, we were in Harlem, and really bringing in people to see the pathways to employment. We're receiving several hundred people are finding the step forward by finding a job. Doing so requires us to set up our city for success in the decades to come.
That is why we're leaning into our housing policy, the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity plan. There were so many of us yesterday outside of City Hall with all the teams and advocates that are coming together. We have to change our zoning rules. It's unbelievable how antiquated they are and how outdated they are. The goal is just to make sure our zoning rules, our rules that we have in governing the city is matching with today's time. That is why it's important to move from a typewriter mindset to a smartphone mindset and our laws and regulations must follow that in a real way.
18 zoning changes. We will build our way out of the housing crisis and support the green energy revolution and build the economy of the future. After extensive public consultation and review, including 175 community board meetings, and approval and modification by the City Planning Commission, the City Council hearing moves us closer to modernizing regulations in effort to support new businesses and create jobs. Step by step, we are becoming a City of Yes. Yes, to more housing, to more businesses, and yes to a future of innovation.
Finally a part of making our city more livable means ensuring every New Yorker has a place to actually live. In our State of the City, we announced 24 in 24 and committed to advancing 24 affordable housing projects on public sites in 2024 that would ultimately create or preserve over 12,000 units of housing. Just a third way through the year and this morning, we announced that we are already past the halfway mark. Great job to you, Maria Torres-Springer. The 13th of the 24 in 24 development is the Grand Concourse branch of the New York Public Library.
A community engagement process is starting for an affordable housing project and the state-of-the-art libraries that's going to be there. The mission is clear and we want to meet our State of the City promise by moving 24 in 24 ahead of schedule is showing that we're moving in the right direction. Like with Willis Point, we are not waiting for anyone else as we address our housing crisis. We do need help from Albany. We must move forward with a real housing plan. We didn't get it last year. We have been in communication with our colleagues and they are working hard to make sure that we can get a deal.
There's a deal to be made and we believe we're going to get that deal. That's why we will continue to travel to Albany, both Tiffany Raspberry, our director of Intergovernmental Affairs, my chief advisor, Ingrid Martin, and Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. They have been back and forth to Albany with one-time Senator Diane Savino, using her experience to really show why it's important to move this initiative forward. We are clearly excited about moving these important initiatives forward as we continue to make our city more livable for every New Yorker. Turn it back over to you or Fabien.
Question: I actually have two questions on two different topics. First of all, the legal question involving the steady drip-drip of information about the investigation going on in the Southern District, having to do with campaign finance, the charges that they're looking at, whether you got upgrades on trips. To me, it's unusual that there's a steady drip-drip of information coming out of a federal investigation that's supposed to be secret. I wonder what your reaction to it is and your reaction to the fact that they're looking at whether you got upgrades.
My second question has to do with squatters. It's a huge problem in the city. We've done a number of stories about it. It has to do with people who stay for 30 days and then don't pay their rent, it also has to do with people who break into homes. The City Council has a bill that would increase the number of days from 30 to 180. I wonder what your solution to this burgeoning question of squatters.
Mayor Adams: Yes. This office won't involve in any way in drip drips, I've said this over and over again. I follow laws. I have great attorneys. My job is to run the city, they are to run the review. I am pleased with my attorneys, what they're doing, and the process is going to take its course. I have to be focused on running the city. Now, and I say this over and over, that's one of my unique abilities, how to place things in categories.
Right now, the category I must do is make sure we land a plane on the budget, land a plane on Albany, land a plane on mayor accountability, land a plane on public safety. You hire a good team, and just as the people who are sitting up here know their areas of focus, my attorney has their job as this review go on, and I feel comfortable with what they're doing.
Question: Don't you think it's odd that there's a steady drip-drip of information that's coming out of supposedly a secret investigation?
Mayor Adams: I think that I'll re-reference that in my book once I'm out of government. Right now, let the process take its course. Ingrid and I, and I think Tiffany was even in the meeting, we met with the Council leadership of the Common Sense Caucus, and Councilwoman Ariola was talking about this bill. A woman's home is her castle. I think it's imperative that we continue to protect that. There was a reason that squatter laws were put in place. I think people are starting to exploit what some of those reasons are.
I always get concerned, your largest investment is your home. That's your largest investment. We're going to look at the law and we're going to make sure that we are able to protect homeowners in the city, which I find too often we seem to ignore homeowners, middle-class, working-class New Yorkers, so we're going to look at this law and see how we can partner with the City Council to resolve this issue.
Tiffany Raspberry, Director, Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs: Mayor, I want to note that the legislation has not been introduced yet into the City Council.
Question: Mr. Mayor, how are you?
Mayor Adams: Quite well.
Question: Good, thanks.
Mayor Adams: …yesterday, you got on green today.
Question: Yes, it's spring. Yesterday, or the other day, rather, I was talking to the DOT about their Smart Curb program. It's about setting aside curb areas for trucks, et cetera, et cetera. I thought maybe that would be in relation to planning for congestion pricing. I was told, oh, no, there won't be any sort of study about city ramifications for congestion pricing until 18 months after congestion pricing is in place. How does that make sense? Why wait 18 months? Is there any plan for traffic management or parking management when or if congestion pricing takes effect? This could be this June.
Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, Operations: I'm happy to handle that one if you don't mind, mayor.
Mayor Adams: Yes.
Deputy Mayor Joshi: Nobody likes to wait for a report. The 18 months is prescribed as part of the state formation of the congestion pricing plan, so DOT is obligated to follow that. DOT has done a lot of work both before and will be continuing to do work afterwards. The before work I'd like to comment on is over $100 million dollars worth of environmental justice mitigation efforts that will be ongoing in the Bronx and citywide to introduce more EV trucks into our system, provide an asthma center in the Bronx, provide more parkland in the Bronx, and green space.
What the ongoing work is, is DOT is currently working with the MTA on what early interventions they can get in place, really with bike and bus lanes, but it also has to do with parking and curb space, and to ensure that movement, especially in the core, is as easy as possible, and especially for public transit.
Question: As far as the Council now, I think two Councilmembers are looking at residential parking permits because they're anticipating Upper Manhattan getting loaded down, and people coming over the George Washington Bridge, and Kew Gardens, where there's a big transit hub. Is this part of the plan, the residential parking, or is that not part of your plan?
Deputy Mayor Joshi: We're happy to engage with Council, but residential parking permits are authorized by the state, so it's something that we would have to engage with our Albany lawmakers on as well. I want to stress that we do need to see how the rollout shakes out before we preemptively start giving out residential parking permits.
Question: Just one more follow-up. When do you think your report would be ready regarding what you're looking at with the MTA?
Deputy Mayor Joshi: Very soon, yes. The start date is soon, so our report has to be out soon as well.
Question: In time?
Deputy Mayor Joshi: In time.
Question: Mr. Mayor, I wanted to ask about the Law Department retaining Alex Spiro, the celebrity lawyer, in your sexual assault case. Do you think this is a good use of city resources? Also, what does it say about, I guess, the confidence in your ability to win this case that you're bringing on this high-priced private lawyer? I know you're getting a discounted rate. Then separately, the state legislature and the governor appear to be close to a deal that includes good cause eviction. I know you said you've won tenant protections in the past, but not specifically good cause. Is this something you're supportive of? Have you reviewed the proposal?
Mayor Adams: Two things. One, I don't know how one becomes a celebrity lawyer. Am I a celebrity mayor? How do you get that classification? My confidence in the Corp Counsel is clear because they make any decisions on how to defend something that I've made clear. Never happened, it's not who I am. My character has been clear for over 40-something years and so they're making the call. My job is to run the city. You put yourself with the right team. I'm the quarterback and I have an offensive line that is helping me move the ball down the field. I trust my offensive line. The Corp Counsel is making the decisions on this and I respect the decision of the Corp Counsel.
The second question was, what was the second question?
Question: About good cause eviction.
Mayor Adams: It's interesting, people get caught up on terminologies and phrases on everything in life. I said I support tenant protection. Everyone likes me to say, no, you have to say this this way. I'm not saying it this way. Tenant protections. Whatever we can do for tenant protections, people can call it whatever they want, but I don't fall into this neat little box that if you don't call it this, then you are not in support of that. We got to get away from that.
I support tenants being protected and I support particularly, small property owners being able to deal with holding onto their properties. If we lose small property owners, 7, 8, 9, 13, 20, 100 units of housing, big developers are going to come in. We're going to lose the financial base of Black and brown immigrant communities. Whatever we can do to build more, as Maria Torres-Springer, deputy mayor, has stated, have a 1 percent vacancy rate. 0 percent basically when you come down to low-income housing.
I'm saying let's not be hypocritical. If you say that we need to house New Yorkers, we need to do things that house New Yorkers. City of Yes. Raising the FAR, converting companies, basem*nt apartments, building a little more over the city, all those things is going to allow us to build more so our children can have a future here. I have faith in Albany. The governor has been amazing from the conversation I'm getting from Tiffany, Ingrid, and DM Torres Springer. We have been engaged in this conversation and we're going to continue to do so.
Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Housing, Economic Development and Workforce: Can I just add, mayor?
Mayor Adams: Yes.
Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: You mentioned tenant protections, good cause eviction. What's at stake is potentially a comprehensive package of all of the tools that are needed in this city, and hopefully across the state, to really tackle the housing crisis. What we know is that we've been very clear. We've been very clear since the start of session, even months before that, about what we need. All of the tools that the mayor mentioned to boost supply, and that tenant protections, being part of that package makes a lot of sense, but we've also been clear about the strategy that it would take in order to ensure that we get a housing deal done.
Just to give you some numbers, because this isn't the type of thing that happens overnight. Over the course of the last several months, we have done hundreds of meetings, including more than 100 one-on-one meetings with lawmakers. It includes going every week a member of this administration to Albany to make the case. Really importantly, it has included building and supporting a diverse coalition so that the voices that care about our housing crisis are heard by lawmakers, whether that's houses of worship, tenant advocates, MWBE developers, of course, industry and labor.
Where we are now because of the continued collaboration and partnership and pushing of so many who recognize that we're in a housing crisis is hopefully on the verge of real action. We're going to keep pushing, we're going to keep making sure that those voices are heard. Really now is the time to take all of that energy, all of the good proposals, and convert them into real relief for New Yorkers.
Question: Hi, Mayor Adams.
Mayor Adams: What's happening?
Question: I wanted to ask you, police reform advocate Dana Rachlin, who worked closely with the NYPD in Brooklyn North under Mayor de Blasio, she yesterday sued the NYPD in the city alleging that after she had a falling out with leadership, including Jeff Maddrey and John Chell, that confidential details about a sexual assault she reported years earlier, made their way into memos, circulated inside and outside the police department.
Will the city look into how those details were leaked? What is your take on her allegations? Do you think it could deter survivors from reporting sexual assaults? I don't know how well you know, Dana, in your years as a police reformer.
Mayor Adams: I've known Dana back in days of State Senate, right? Back in the days of State Senate, we lined up with many advocates around reforms. I'm sure if you would speak to her, she would probably tell you how forward-thinking I was around these reforms. This is a legal case. I cannot make it any clearer. That's the job of the attorneys to navigate lawsuits. That's not my responsibility and that's not my role. Let the attorneys determine the pathway forward on this.
Question: This is not the only alleging bad behavior from the people you've appointed… [Crosstalk].
Mayor Adams: Let her finish. I like this question.
Question: I'm just curious. Do you think there's an issue, I know you said Dana would speak highly of you, but it seems like this is the leadership that you emboldened in the NYPD where multiple lawsuits filed against some accusations about their behavior within the NYPD, particularly towards women. I'm just curious, do you think it's something that this is being allowed within City Hall's leadership or is it some sort of social media behavior aside, there's pretty serious allegations against people like Chief Maddrey, people like Chief Chell, people like Kaz Daughtry about how they are treating people in the NYPD. Do you have any comment on that?
Mayor Adams: I'm sure you're not new as a reporter and throughout my 22 years in the police department, these issues are investigated and the determination is made. As a police officer, I filed an EEO on the behavior of some of the leadership. That is the purpose of due process and I know these officers and individuals you mentioned, men and women, have done an amazing job of driving down crime, keeping our city safe, and doing it in a safe environment.
That's why I put, ensured when I spoke with the commissioner, making sure we have someone like First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella to look over and make sure we have that atmosphere. Women have progressed in the police department. First woman in the history of that department to head out Intel divisions, something that has not been done before. I could go down the line of the progression of women in the New York City Police Department. Let's let the process take its course.
Ingrid Lewis‑Martin, Chief Advisor to the Mayor: Let me just add this, this is news to us, just like it's news to you. I believe those assertions or allegations made by Dana dates back. It predates us. We were in Borough Hall at the time. You were borough president, I think, when these things happened, so we're just learning about it. We have to be fair and let the process play out. Because someone is accused of something doesn't necessarily make that person guilty. We do live in America where you're innocent until proven guilty, so let's let it play out.
Question: Hi, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Adams: What's happening?
Question: There's a story out that a group of migrant men were moved into the Gowanus shelter before planned state toxin testing. This is a Park Slope in Brooklyn shelter site. My questions are just, when did it open? Has it been approved by the state? What kind of testing has been done? Are there toxins? Then for the deputy mayor, just hoping for a general migrants update as well.
Mayor Adams: Anne, do you want to do that or Camille?
Deputy Mayor Anne Williams‑Isom, Health and Human Services: I will start and maybe Camille-- Well, Camille, you want to do the general migrant update?
Camille Joseph Varlack, Chief of Staff to the Mayor: Or I can do the toxins. Totally up to you.
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: Okay.
Joseph Varlack: Okay. All right, no problem.
Mayor Adams: You two are just so kind.
Joseph Varlack: Obviously, the health and safety of everyone in our care is always the top priority, including making sure the DSS is working to ensure that all of our sites meet both DLB as well as FDNY and other relevant and local state and regulation, that they've passed all the inspections. In this particular instance, OTDA, which is the Office of Temporary and Disability, they already conducted an inspection of this site and cleared it. In addition to that, the landlord of the site conducted a soil vapor intrusion test, and our city agencies reviewed it and found that there is no indication that there's a current health risk to occupants.
We are also working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation to schedule an additional soil vapor intrusion test at this site, which is not mandatory testing.
Deputy Mayor Levy: Do you want to do the general update?
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: The general update on just the numbers that I would say, we're now at over 189,200 migrants that have come to New York City. Last week, 1,500 migrants have come, which means that there's a slight bit of an uptick that we're seeing, so we're always paying attention to that. We are continuing to work really hard to make sure that we are meeting our peg in terms of cutting costs. We're working on the Callahan implementation and doing the work that we need to do there. I don't know if there was anything in particular you wanted to know more again.
Question: Just when did the migrants move into that shelter and have there been any problems with people reapplying for a shelter bed, have you guys seen? Has things gotten better since the right to shelter?
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: I think that the people have started moving in a… Wednesday, yes, this one. I was going to say this past week. Has there been any problems with people…
Question: …Reapplying. Have you guys seen an improvement with the right-to-shelter agreement you guys were able to come to?
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: Remember, we're still in the process of implementing and working really closely with the Legal Aid Society on what extenuating circ*mstances are going to look like. Who's going to be doing that analysis, making sure that they're trained, making sure that the decisions are standardized? We haven't technically started to implement the extenuating circ*mstances yet, but we're having really good conversations with Legal Aid to make sure that we are taking all the time that we need to make sure we get it right.
Question: Yes, thanks. Hey, Mayor. Just a little bit more on the FBI's Turkish Airlines probe. Can you just elaborate a little bit more about the circ*mstances around those flight upgrades, and just why you believe that they were not improper, and if you are going to reimburse the airline at all?
Mayor Adams: Okay. I want to make sure when I say no, I'm not saying no about any other thing. No, I'm not elaborating. I have attorneys. They're going to do their job, let them handle their job. I'm focused, no distractions, and grind. That's what I'm doing. I have an attorney, let the review take its course. It's not going to be reviewed in the press. Let it take its course.
Question: My question is a different topic. The lawsuits against the companies that marketing e-cigarettes to youth. My question is about the social media being declared a hazard for youth. Is there any specific steps that the administration started taking in the campaign? Because I just heard it was declared as a hazard but I'm wondering if there's anything specific, both for the schools or work youth?
Mayor Adams: We've always been in this space and I don't know if DM Williams-Isom wants to elaborate more, but we've been in this space for some time because we know how important it is. Even when we looked at some of the people who are striking randomly, women in the city, this is being pushed on TikTok. I've been saying this for some time since being elected, I saw the pattern of duplicating bad behavior that's been pushed on social media. We've been leaning in this, we've been leaning away, we've been a leading national voice.
The conference we had with Dr. Vasan to look at this, this is something that, as New Yorkers and Americans, we can't downplay what social media platforms are doing to our children in general, I should say, our country in general, but specifically our young people.
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: The thing I just want to add is, remember it was a three-pronged strategy. The lawsuit was one part of it, and then also Dr. Vasan had a public health advisory, which really is important because it really raises the attention to everybody to know that we think that there's some harm here. Then the third part was a comprehensive plan that deals with awareness and working with churches and schools and caretakers. He's in the process of doing that right now. I'm happy to give you more updates on that as we get it.
The purpose there has always been to give information, to have young people involved, to really think about the advisory in terms of that it should be 14 or older in terms of when you're giving young people access to social media. Also, our Teen Space program, which is a little different, but it also helps us to think about the amount of stress that young people are over. I think we started that a couple of young people experienced a couple of months ago, and we've already had 6,000 young people who have used the app.
We're doing all those comprehensive things, but yes, really happy to give you an update further on what the plan is and how that's being implemented.
Mayor Adams: Yes, and this social media is a real problem. I remember as a child sitting down watching the news with my mom, and you sit there and you're getting facts. When I speak with Jordan and his peers, they don't watch the news. They don't see Michael Gardner's report on Always Beat Me Up. They don't look at that.
It's like all of their information is on their phones and it's inundated with misinformation, misinformation, misinformation, and we can't downplay what this is doing to our young people. Facts don't matter anymore. Everything they get is off those platforms and these platforms know they're using algorithms to draw our young people into a dark hole. I don't think we realize how big this threat is to their mental stability, their mental health, promoting violence, promoting bad behavior. They are just targeting our young people, and you know what, TikTok version that we get here, you can't see it in China.
Question: Hey, Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Adams: What's going on?
Question: I have a few questions. In that Times story, a couple other people asked about these upgrades, it referenced…
[Crosstalk].
Question: No, this is a different question.
Mayor Adams: Was that the same…
Question: It referenced meetings with airline reps, sometimes in the presence of diplomats. What did you discuss in those meetings? It also talked about Cenk Öcal and Rana Abbasova arranging those upgrades. When and how did you first meet those two people, and can you describe your relationship with each of them?
Then on a separate topic, back in 2016, Chief Maddrey was accused of sexual abuse. That was an on-the-job situation. Similar charges have been leveled against you also on the job situation. Now, the differences in Maddrey's case… I mean, there are a lot of difference, but one difference is that in Maddrey's case, the city chose not to grant legal representation to him, and yours, the city is choosing to do it. I was wondering if you or someone else at the dais could explain the rationale around that. There's an inconsistency there and I'm just wondering if somebody could touch on that.
Mayor Adams: I think there's a consistency that every case is determined by corp counsel and how they're going to move forward. That's consistent. They make the decision, I respect their decision. The second thing is the question you were asking me about Turkish Airlines, can I comment on A, B, C, and D? No. It's taking the process, let it take its process, and after the process conclude and a matter of government, you're going to be able to read everything in my book.
[Crosstalk.]
Mayor Adams: Listen, my attorneys are doing what they're supposed to be doing and I'm pleased with what they're doing. I follow the rules. I don't break laws. I made that clear over and over again and those who have followed me throughout my entire career, there have been things that have been thrown at me, there have been accusations, and it'll still come out that the guy follows the rule. I do that. I sleep well at night with my little teddy bear because I follow the rules.
Question: Hi Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Adams: How are you doing?
Question: Good.
Mayor Adams: Good.
Question: Last week, you were talking about when you went in the subways with the NYPD to see what they were doing. You said that one thing you didn't see them do was engage with people who needed help, people who appeared to be homeless, people who appear to be in mental distress. You also said that under the previous administration, there had been a program in which officers were doing more of that with a team of social workers. I wonder what kind of model would you like to see? I know we have scout.
Do you want to see an expansion of that? Would you like to see the officers themselves trained in doing that kind of work? Chief Chell was on WNYC yesterday and he said what happens is, they're rotating cops who don't usually tour the subways. They're not used to that, so it's new for them. Then my second question is, I know you talked to Mayor Bloomberg quite a bit, and I'm wondering if the two of you have ever discussed riding the subways every day to work, because that was something that he did.
I think it was very popular with New Yorkers, it was a very popular gesture. It was like he was riding to work the same way so many other New Yorkers do. I thought the fact that congestion pricing is coming up, it would kind of be a very powerful example to New Yorkers.
Mayor Adams: Let's peel that back. First, the previous administration disbanded what was called the Homeless Outreach Unit. There were a lot of noise from the advocates, and you know a lot of misinterpretations, when people yell at them, they all of a sudden move away, even if something is broken. I don't operate that way. The Homeless Outreach Unit was a good concept. They saw the homeless every day, they built trust, they were able to move them out of the system.
We put back and Anne can go into what we did, on how to use a combination of mental health professionals, outreach workers, law enforcement personnel, all of them combined together, because you have to ensure the safety. Oftentimes people don't realize that you have to ensure the safety of outreach workers, because some of those who are experiencing severe mental health illness, some can get violent. You never want to put a civilian in an atmosphere where they can be harmed in any way.
We put this combination together, had thousands of interactions, we're seeing some success, and we're going to continue. We're going to expand on something. The commissioner gave me an idea that I think is really brilliant. I'm going to let him announce himself. We are continuing to evolve on how do we go into the subway system. I said this over and over, and I'm going to say it again, we're dealing with three issues, recidivism, those with severe mental health issues, random acts of violence.
You take those three issues off of our plate, you guys will have a challenge on something to write about. It's the same action. The person who pushed the person on the subway track was a recidivist. He was dealing with severe mental health. It was a random act of violence. You hear that cadence over and over and over again. We are approaching each one of those pieces. We're fighting to say let's stop the recidivism, judges have to step up and do the job that they should be doing, and we're going to be looking at some other things.
My counsel Lisa is going to be looking at some other things that we could really go after recidivism. Dr. Vasan and Anne are looking at these severe mental health issues. We keep leaning into that. People told me, remember when we started, they said, "Don't do it, Eric. It's unpopular. You're never going to win it. Everybody's going to hate you." We said, "We're going to do it anyway." It was the right thing to do, and we're doing the right thing right now. Lastly, random acts of violence. We have to really stop these random acts of violence.
They can be a small number, but they will suck all of the oxygen out of the room. Because it is traumatizing to be on a platform and reading that someone was shoved to the tracks. It's traumatizing for someone to punch a woman in her face as she's walking down the block just enjoying her city. These random acts of violence, as small as they are, they are traumatizing New Yorkers and we must continue to zero in on them.
Question: My second question, would you ride the subway to work every day?
Mayor Adams: Listen, I love riding the subway. I enjoy it a lot. Not only do I do it during the daytime, I'm out there 1:00 a.m., 2:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m. and not a lot of mayors do that. When you look at my schedule, those of you who follow my schedule, and some of you after following my schedule, you need a whole two days off to sleep, because my schedule is so full, and I'm all over the city, half an hour interviews. I'm at places. If I could do it, I'm taking the subway to all those locations, I would love to.
Every half an hour, my team, Gladys Miranda, who handles all of this stuff. I'm constantly engaging with New Yorkers, moving throughout the city, and it's a very full, full schedule. I've got to be realistic, not only idealistic.
Question: Mr. Mayor. Good afternoon.
Mayor Adams: How are you?
Question: How are you?
Mayor Adams: How are you doing?
Question: I'm good. This morning, Hillary Clinton talked about the importance of child care and how it impacts the economy. Now, we've already seen cuts in the NYC budget and needs to change that. Could you care to comment on that?
Mayor Adams: On which budget?
Question: On the cuts to the child care.
Mayor Adams: In the upcoming budget?
Question: Yes.
Mayor Adams: Well, we're in budget negotiations right now. We have been really communicating with the speaker. We met with the speaker yesterday on some important topics. The process is still going through. We have been clear that we don't want to do anything that's going to impact the success we have shown already in this city, and we want to make sure we're doing it in a balanced way. We have to balance the budget by law. We don't get the opportunity to print new money like the federal government.
We have to look at the money that's coming in, and it must match the money that's coming out and we have to do it that we could be there for those New Yorkers in greater need, and that's what we're going to do. Adrienne has been a great partner. We had two budgets already. The City Council members are going to raise their concerns, we're going to raise our concerns. At the end of the day, we're going to land the plane because the law requires us to do that.
Question: Hi, Mr. Mayor. How are you?
Mayor Adams: What's happening?
Question: I'm good. I wanted to ask you a few questions. First question, can we get some clarity on the Alex Spiro hire? How much is he being billed an hour? When did he come on? Corporation counsel has a box of lawyers working in their department, why did you need an extra one?
Also wanted to ask you, the State Education Department is releasing their report on mayoral control today. Have you seen that report, and are you worried about their recommendations?
Final question, going back to the Breakfast Club interview, on the interview you were asked a lot of questions by lawyer and activist Olayemi. One of the claims she made to you was that you continued to tell New Yorkers this is the safest big city, while simultaneously fearmongering about crime. Can you respond to that, please?
Mayor Adams: Let's do all three, because whenever you ask me a question, I got to peel back each layer. First, on the Breakfast Club, I was amazed I was able to get a word in. Being honest to New Yorkers is not fearmongering. New York is the safest big city in America. This is not my opinion. The stats show that. We're the safest big city in America. When I talk about… And thank you for that. You're so kind. These are the facts. Look at these numbers. What's that first one all the way on the far left? Look at the numbers and look at where we are. Safest big city in America.
I'm so glad you asked that. We had a recruitment in the New York Post today, one of my favorite blue-collar papers, we had a recruitment. Go to the number of… The closest big city next to her is Dallas. Our homicide rate per 100,000 is 4. Dallas is 19. What she should be doing is telling some of her auspices go over Dallas, her closest city, to deal with the violence there.
When I tell New Yorkers, honestly about recidivism, random acts of violence, of people with severe mental health illnesses committing acts of violence, that's not fearmongering. I tell New Yorkers to go out. There's 62 million tourists that come here. I'm out in the streets visiting people. Being honest is not fearmongering. I'm not going to be dishonest to New Yorkers. I'm going to tell them we're the safest big city in America, and I'm going to show them what we are going to continue do so. Now, dealing with Alex you were asking about…
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: Mayor.
Mayor Adams: I'm sorry, go ahead Anne.
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: No, I was just going to ask if you wanted me to step in.
Mayor Adams: I don't think you have to, because I'm not answering anything else on it. I already answered it. The corp counsel made a decision. They are doing a defense. This is something I will never do, did not happen. That's not how I live my life. I live my life protecting people in general, but women specifically. The corp counsel is doing that. I got to have to stay focus, no distractions and grind in running our city.
Question: Oh, wait. The last, on the State Department report. The State Department…
Mayor Adams: Yes, let me tell you about that State Department report. We have been clear on this. Number one, CUNY Law School is writing it, or someone that comes from CUNY Law School. Remember them? Let's turn our backs on Eric Adams. Let's talk about how bad America is. The keynote speaker was from Yemen, which she would not even be on the stage and speak in the country. I'm not comfortable with that.
I'm not comfortable with the fact when we spoke to the State Department of Ed, that they're supposed to compare governance models and they shared with us on the call that they were not going to do that. They were supposed to look at mayoral accountability and compare with non-mayoral accountability. Back when we started under Bloomberg, we had a 50-something percent graduation rate, we're now over 80 percent graduation rate. I think we should be comparing the two about mayoral accountability versus non-mayoral accountability across the entire country.
We stated that, "Look at our test scores. We are outpacing reading and writing across the state and others." They said that they're not looking at that because tests can't be so decisive. Why do them? I'm concerned, is this more political, or is it about the way we have done it and what Chancellor Banks has done? I believe that they should not be rushing to do this report. They should be using what the law required them to do. When we sat down and communicated with them, it was clear that either someone did not read the law, or they determined that they were going to do it the way they wanted to do.
We should be comparing mayor accountability and other school-governing models to see the success and then make recommendations. You know what else they did? They had 5 hearings, had at most 100 people at each hearing. 5, at most 100 people. The professional parents knew about the hearings ahead of time. They were able to fill the room. You weren't hearing from everyday New Yorkers. 500 people at most with a million students?
Lewis-Martin: You know what also, Mayor? They didn't tell us what tools they're using to do the assessment. We only know what they're not using. How are they doing the assessment? That's the issue. What are you assessing? How are you assessing it?
Deputy Mayor Levy: I would also point out that you have the report. We have still not seen the report. They won't give it up.
Mayor Adams: Right.
Raspberry: It's important to note that when the report if it is in fact released today we will analyze it and let you know what our feedback is, but like Fabien said, we haven't seen it yet.
Lewis-Martin: Unless you want to give it to us.
Mayor Adams: Yes. Kelly, can you, please? Can you please, because they won't give it to us? Please. Kelly, think about that. They leaked the report to you and didn't give it to us. Come on. This is what we're up against. They're not looking at the facts that Chancellor Banks came into a school system, we are outpacing the state in reading and writing. We have changed the food that our students are eating. We have changed the cafeterias. Graduation rates are up. All of these successes.
They write a report by the school that booed me and turned their backs on me, and then they snuck the report to you. I can't make this stuff.
Lewis-Martin: Kelly, remember, all this stuff was done after COVID. Remember, after COVID, all of this stuff was done. Reports had been issued that our kids had lagged behind as a result of COVID, and Chancellor Bank, to his credit and his enormous team, were able to turn that around.
Mayor Adams: Right.
Lewis-Martin: We want to know what it is they doing. How are they judging us?
Mayor Adams: So good, Fabien, you caught that. I didn't even realize that, they got the report before us. Jeff, do you have the report too?
Question: Probably.
Mayor Adams: Right, go ahead.
Question: I'm just going to approach this from a slightly different angle.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: No, I get to ask my question. You can answer however you like it.
Mayor Adams: I agree with you.
Question: Just stepping back a little bit before all this happened, there was a story in the Daily News that on the day the FBI conducted all those raids in November, some lawyers started working for your legal defense trust. I'm wondering…
Mayor Adams: You said days before?
Question: On the same day. On the same day. On November 2nd. I was curious if you could tell us how it came to be that these attorneys started working on that same day. Did you have advance notice that this was going to happen, or did you have some agreement that you could quickly snap them into action? Then another question that predates some of the investigation stuff. You went to Turkey as borough president a few times, did you seek [inaudible] guidance for the upgrades that the New York Times story says that you received?
Mayor Adams: No, I did not get any advance notification. Former law enforcement, I know how to take steps when you should take steps. Again, I'm not going into the details of this review. Let the process play out. You guys are going to have all the opportunity in the world to write about this entire process, and those who are still around, you're going to be able to read a lot of this stuff in my book. What are you looking like that for, Mike?
Question: No, you said you didn't get advance notification.
Mayor Adams: He was asking did I get advance notification that the actions that took place with Brianna, right, in November. No, no one called me to tell me anything, and they have their methodologies, and I respect the process. I respect the process.
Question: Did you want to comment at all on whether you got [inaudible] guidance before getting any upgrades to a flight when you were borough resident?
Mayor Adams: Listen, I like your writing, I like you as a person, but if I open up Pandora's box, Michael's going to walk through.
Question: Thanks, mayor. Two questions.
Mayor Adams: How are you, Jeff?
Question: I'm good, how are you?
Mayor Adams: Quite well.
Question: Good. It's about the eclipse. I wanted to ask you two questions. One is to the Dana Rachlin lawsuit. She says that…
Mayor Adams: I'm sorry who?
Question: The Dana Rachlin lawsuit. She says that police began retaliating against her using her sexual assault after she began criticizing them about certain issues. You yourself were once a critic of the NYPD. Last week, you defended the NYPD's right to criticize their critics. I'm wondering if you think because of the power that the NYPD has, because of the knowledge they have, in Ms. Rachlin's case, she said they had discrete knowledge of her sexual assault, that they it used against her.
I'm wondering if you think the NYPD should be allowed to go after their critics in the same way that you would as a politician, for example. Shouldn't there be some limits on how the NYPD responds? As yourself, you were a hit when you criticized the NYPD as well. That's my first question. The second question, I'm wondering, do you think it is appropriate for a public official to take upgrades on personal or business travel?
Mayor Adams: The lawsuit is going to follow its process, and no one should do anything to be abusive to anyone in the city. If someone crosses that line, they should be held accountable. My opinion on when one should do an upgrades or not upgrade, let the review take its process. I cannot say that enough. The review will take its process and I'm not going to speculate and give opinions. I'm going to let the review take its process.
Question: On the critique though, mayor, I haven't really heard you be that critical of the NYPD since you became mayor. Have you ever publicly criticized actions of the police department or do you save that privately? Do you feel like you need to correct them at times in terms of how they respond to their critics?
Mayor Adams: Jeff, that's a great question. First of all, I'm glad you're acknowledging my history of critiquing when I think it's inappropriate behavior. Any person who supervises 313,000, I don't know what our number is now employees. As I sat down and communicated with the mayors previously and all I've read about mayors and everything I learned about leadership you don't chastise your people in public. You praise them in public and you chastise them in private.
There's no reason. When I see something and there are things I see wrong, trust me, I will call the commissioner and tell him, "This is not acceptable," or I will go and call that police officer and say, "The other day I was at this location and I saw you do this. That's not acceptable," or I will go back. I will tell my team, "Pull the car over," and I will go to those officers that are on patrol and say, "It's not acceptable."
Matter of fact, you guys, one of you wrote about the story when I was on the open streets and I saw a bunch of officers congregated and I got off the parade route and went over to them and say, "This is not how the people of the city need to see you. You need to spread out and you need to do your job correctly." I reprimand in private and I praise in public.
Question: In terms of the upgrades, do you have a policy for your administration about whether anybody can take upgrades when they travel?
Mayor Adams: My policy is to allow the attorneys to do their job. That's my policies, and that's what I'm doing right now, I'm following my policies. I have counsel and my counsel's doing their job, and I have the utmost of faith in corp counsel and utmost faith in Lisa, who they called, what do they call you? The mini tornado back in the day.
Lisa Zornberg, Chief Counsel to the Mayor and City Hall: Tiny Tornado.
Question: What is it?
First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright: Tiny Tornado.
Mayor Adams: Who was the smallest goalie in the history of the city when she played soccer?
Question: Hi, Mr. Mayor, how are you?
Jeff: Quite well. How are you doing?
Question: Doing just fine. Previously, you've spoken out against the city's sanctuary city laws. You've said, "I don't believe people who are violent in our city commit repeated crimes, should have the privilege of being in our city." Last week there was another assault involving a group of migrants at a Target on the Upper East Side. They assaulted a cop. They've since been charged and released. Is there any push by your administration to revisit those sanctuary laws as you've spoken out against before? What is your administration doing in that effect?
Then additionally, following up on security in the wake of that incident as well as the incident at Randall's Island, where is the security review with all these security contracts? You said you were analyzing this. I notice Tim Pearson is probably near the top of this since he heads that. What's the status of that review and metal detectors and all the things that your administration has spoken about in the last few weeks?
Mayor Adams: This is one of the biggest mixups that I hear all the time when I'm speaking to people. Sanctuary city is not for migrants and asylum seekers. They are paroled into the country legally. Sanctuary city is if you're here and you are undocumented, we are not allowed to turn you over to ICE, we're not allowed to deny you services, we can't turn you over to the police, no city agency could coordinate with people based on your immigration status.
What I said, even with those who are undocumented and those who are migrants and asylum seekers, if you are a repeated offender of a violent act in this city, after you serve your time, you need to leave this city. That is my position. People should not come here and be violent to everyday citizens of this city and to other migrants and asylum seekers. Because some of the incidents we're seeing, they're attacking other migrants and asylum seekers who just want to come in and pursue the American dream.
I pulled in the team to do a complete analysis on security, on cost of security, how much it's costing us, how well we're doing. When you look at 3,000… What was that numbers on Randall's, DM, is it 3,000?
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: 3,000.
Mayor Adams: Think about this for a moment, 3,000 people are placed in an environment, many of them are young, and told you can't do anything all day but sit here for the whole day. I'm amazed at how well they're doing. I would have never predicted that we would have a skirmish every once in a while. I was really fearful of putting 3,000 people from different walks of life in one setting. 3,000 people in one setting and saying all you can do all day is to sit here all day. That's inhumane.
We are taking the necessary security precaution, and evidently, we're doing the right thing, because we're not seeing skirmishes hop up all the time. We're seeing just the opposite. We're seen people saying we want to wait so we can finally got our crack at the American dream. The team is going to put in the metal detectors, we doing stuff such as curfews, we had a good team that's analyzing this, Deputy Mayor Banks who's extremely knowledgeable, he's the chief of the department.
Tim Pearson, as an inspector, what he has done around public safety. These guys know what they're doing, and evidently, they're doing something right, because we are not seeing what… I would have even thought we were going to have more skirmishes.
Lewis-Martin: Of course, don't forget the costs are coming down.
Mayor Adams: Right. The cost of doing it is coming down. Camille and her team, Molly. When you start an emergency, you got to find vendors that's going to do certain things. There's just such a rush, rush, rush, rush, and people know it, they know they got you over the barrel. Now we're still in the emergency state, but we are at a point that we can now go back and re-look at these contracts to bring down the costa to what we want. We're doing what? 30 percent PEG, right?
Lewis-Martin: Yes.
Mayor Adams: 30 percent PEG, and we're going to reach that number. Okay.
Deputy Mayor Levy: Thank you.
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