New York City Mayor Eric Adams reassured New Yorkers that the city is safe following a fatal stabbing on Sunday in Manhattan's East Village that left three injured and one dead.
During his regular Tuesday press conference at City Hall, the mayor was asked about the deadly incident, which took place in daylight just before 6pm on East 14th Street and Avenue A, an area Adams described as “terrible” and rife with illegal encampments and vending.
The mayor said mental health issues are the underlying issue in many incidents.
“There are people who are on the street with severe mental health issues that can't take care of themselves, and we need to be honest about that,” said Adams, who mentioned the administration's “involuntary removal” initiative that forcibly takes individuals living on the street deemed unfit to care for themselves off the street and into hospitals for psychiatric evaluation. When announced in the 2022, the initiative was met with sharp criticism.
“If you go back and look at the reports, when we talked about involuntary removal, we got criticized from all over the place, but we were steadfast," he said.
The mayor said he will be beefing up police presence in the East Village to focus on quality-of-life issues.
Public safety was a core issue discussed at the press conference. The mayor was also asked about an assault in Central Park on Monday, where the perpetrator exposed himself to, and tackled, a young woman who was sunbathing.
The suspect, who is still at large, will be caught, Adams said.
"Individuals in general, but specifically women, should have a right to walk the streets and the right to enjoy our city without an animal like that carrying out a terrible act like that," he said.
Despite the recent incidents, Adams insisted that the city is safe, and that “random acts of violence” have overshadowed the success of his administration.
”If all you're reading about is those random acts of violence, you believe the city's in disarray, and it's not,” said Adams. “This city is the safest big city in America. The numbers prove that, and we're going to continue to become safer.”
The mayor also addressed concerns that the fiscal 2025 budget may not be finalized by the June 30 deadline.
In April, Mayor Adams proposed a $111 billion-dollar executive budget that restored previous cuts to school funding and cultural institutions, but maintained a $58 million cut to libraries. Last week, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams suggested that negotiations over the budget were stalled.
“Speaker [Adrienne] Adams and I are extremely competent. We are great leaders in this city. We're going to be fierce advocates for what we believe, no matter what it is,” said Adams, insisting they will make the deadline. The new fiscal year starts on July 1.
When asked about the United Federation of Teachers withdrawing its support for the city’s plan to move 250,000 retired city employees from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, the mayor seemed to dismiss the issue.
“This is just another issue on the stage of labor discussions. We're going to be alright. We're going to solve this. We're going to move forward,” said Adams.
The plan to switch coverage, which was originally proposed by former mayor Bill de Blasio, could save the city an estimated $600 million a year.
Speaking about the upcoming presidential debate on Thursday, the mayor said President Joe Biden has a record to run on, including the economy and erasing student loans for many debt-laden people.
"I think the president has done a good job and he's going to continue to do a good job. This is a tough time to be a chief executive right now because people are angry. They're hurting. The lack of affordability, the issues that we're facing. There's a lot of anger out there. I think that if once he lays out his plan, people realize that he can continue to chart a course for the future," said the mayor, and referred to himself as "the Biden of Brooklyn."
