Eric Adams, the Democratic New York City Mayor said that, throughout the years, “major mistakes” have been made, leading people to fear growing crime.
MUST WATCH VIDEO: Mayor Eric Adams Makes Statement on Brooklyn Subway Attack
“Major mistakes made throughout the years that destroyed the trust that the police commissioner is talking about — we have to rebuild that trust. But we can’t rebuild that trust by allowing those who are dangerous and that have — they have a repeated history of violence to continue to be on our streets,” Adams said.
Adams added that “we have to be honest about some of the things we’re doing generationally that has created the crime problem that we are facing right now,” while also noting that several criminals haven’t served their sentences because of court backlogs stemming from the pandemic, per report.
Police Commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD), Keechant Sewell then added that “we cannot lose sight of the victims of crime. We believe the system has to be fair and balanced, but when we lose sight of the victims of crime, we are not doing what public safety is intended to do.”
Adams referred to earlier comments made by William Bratton, a former NYPD commissioner, who said progressive policies have caused more fear and crime.
“The scales right now are tipped very heavily in favor of the reforms of the progressive left. Well intended, some needed, but a bit too far, and what we have as a result is this growing fear of crime, this growing actual amount of crime as evidenced in almost every American city,” Bratton said on a podcast.
NYPD statistics show that New York City has experienced a 58.7% rise in overall crime in February compared to the same period in 2021. A 40% surge in homicides over the previous two years and the highest number of shootings in a decade were also reported by the city.