Democratic primary candidate Maya Wiley said Monday she will take $1 billion from the NYPD and put it towards violence prevention measures, a stark difference from Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who is promising to increase policing in the face of a significant uptick in shootings across the city. 

Wiley and Adams have been sparring over the past few days as Adams continues to rise in polls and Wiley receives key endorsements from progressive lawmakers and organizations. 

The comments reached a fevered pitch Saturday, after Wiley received the endorsement of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

What You Need To Know

  • Wiley and Adams have been sparring over the past few days, as Adams continues to rise in polls and Wiley receives key endorsements from progressive lawmakers and organizations

  • Despite her newly found support among the left, Wiley has struggled to build any significant lead in the race

  • Wiley, who campaigned in Co-Op city on Monday, said Adams has offered contradicting views on policing, while her supporters accused Adams of fear mongering

"Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Maya Wiley want to slash the police department budget and shrink the police force at a time when Black and brown babies are being shot in our streets, hate crimes are terrorizing Asian and Jewish communities, and innocent New Yorkers are being stabbed and shot on their way to work," Adams said in a statement.

Wiley, who campaigned in Co-Op city on Monday, said Adams has offered contradicting views on policing, while her supporters accused Adams of fear mongering. 

Wiley was critical of Adams, who has suggested his opponents are only offering "prevention" solutions. 

"You cant stop and frisk your way out of gun violence," Wiley said. "When you prevent a death, you are actually bringing gun violence down."

She rallied alongside supporters, including Rep. Jamal Bowman, State Assembly members Michael Blake and Nathalia Fernandez. 

"It's obscene for Eric to have the audacity to say that Maya doesn't care about Black and brown babies as a Black mother of two," Blake said. "It just seems very clearly to us, that Eric only has comments because he's afraid that Maya is going to win this race."

Despite her newly found support among the left, Wiley has struggled to build any significant lead in the race. 

An exclusive Spectrum News NY1 Ipsos poll, which surveyed 906 likely Democratic voters from May 17 to 31, found Wiley at 9% coming in at 5th place behind Scott Stringer and Kathryn Garcia.

Wiley dismissed the results of the poll, saying her coalition continues to grow.

"We have the momentum and yes, we have the time because it's because we have people and we are people powered," Wiley said.