New York City Mayor Eric Adams emphasized the need for state lawmakers to pass legislation so the city can place people with mental illness into involuntary psychiatric care.
The call came after Ramon Rivera, 51, fatally stabbed three people in Manhattan last week, about a month after Rivera's release from jail for good behavior. Adams, during his regular Tuesday press conference, said Albany officials need to pass legislation currently on the state assembly floor that would authorize involuntary intervention for people with mental illness at “substantial risk of psychiatric harm.” The bill defines a substantial risk of harm as defined by someone’s “inability to meet their own basic needs for food, clothing, shelter or medical care.”
“I've been demonized, actually, when we say that people should not live on the streets,” said Adams. ”People who need help don't know they need help when they're in that state.”
The mayor said the city’s mental health system needs to be fixed, and that there's not enough support for struggling New Yorkers. He also criticized how jail detainees can be released on good behavior on the the basis of their actions while in jail, and not at the time when they are arrested.
Adams also floated the idea of building a state-of-the-art mental health facility for recently-released detainees.
Brian Stettin, a senior advisor on severe mental illness to City Hall officials, said the city must prioritize providing stable homes for people with known mental illness who are recently released from jails or hospitals.
“We have a significant need for a better residential option for people…A place to live where they are going to receive intensive mental health services and actual medical care in that interim period,” said Stettin. “We need something better than a congregate shelter to send somebody.”
He also mentioned tweaking eligibility to allow more people to have access to the Intensive Mobile Treatment program, part of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The IMT provides support and treatment for people who have had frequent contact with law enforcement, homeless services or have exhibited behavior deemed unsafe and escalating. The program serves up to 486 people on any given day.
Meanwhile, the mayor said he hopes the upcoming transition in the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York will make the system of justice "proper."
Current U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who is prosecuting the mayor, said he will step down before president-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.
"I think the system of justice must be fair. I don't think any American should go through what I've gone through," Adams said. "And so, I've always stated I've done nothing wrong."
Adams also celebrated the passage of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan by two City Council subcommittees last week.
“We [have] got to think outside the box. We have a housing crisis,” said Adams. "No one thought we can do it," but we were able to land the plane, he said.
Originally slated to bring over 100,000 units over the next 15 years, the current City of Yes housing plan will bring around 80,000 units of housing over the same time period. The administration and City Council agreed to pare back on parking requirements and impose limits on accessory dwelling units, among other things.
The plan will head to the City Planning Commission for review and will then be voted on by the entire City Council on Dec. 5.
Adams also kept mum on a report that predicted the closure of the migrant shelter at Floyd Bennett Field, which sits on federal land.
“When I make a determination on what I'm doing with Floyd Bennett Field, I'm going to announce what I'm doing,” said Adams. “We're looking at all of the HERRCs [Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers]…We're trying to downsize the population.”
