In his fight against gun violence, the mayor is even recruiting family members.
At a news conference Monday, Mayor Eric Adams detailed a Sunday scene at Pier 79 near West 49th Street where he said his sister overheard three men in hoodies discussing a shooting.
“She called me, I said immediately call 9-11,” the mayor recalled. “Police responded and did a canvass of the area and now they are going to continue the investigation.”
What You Need To Know
- Adams thanked the NYPD Monday and said the criminal justice system is a laughingstock
- But authorities acknowledged gang suspects highlighted by the mayor at his press conference are currently behind bars and not cut loose by the courts
- Adams admitted the suspected gun members arrested on gun charges are largely young men of color, adding the city is failing them
- An upcoming Supreme Court ruling on New York's concealed carry law keeps the mayor up at night, he said
From an undisclosed police office in Canarsie, Adams wanted to highlight gang arrests made by the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division in the last few years. He said this work is behind the recent 31% drop in shootings last month compared to May 2021.
He believes the courts need to “do their part.”
“No one takes criminal justice seriously anymore. These bad guys no longer take it seriously. They believe our criminal justice system is a laughingstock,” the mayor said.
But the authorities acknowledged most of the suspects featured here are currently behind bars.
“The vast majority are still in,” said Jason Savino, NYPD commanding officer of the Gun Violence Suppression Division.
In all of the photos shared by the mayor Monday of suspected gang members arrested on gun charges, the individuals appeared to be Black and Latino. Adams admitted the city he leads are failing men of color.
“Yes. We are failing men of color. We’re failing communities that have been denied with inequalities for years,” the mayor responded to a question from NY1. “I bet you if you do a profile of these men that are here, you will find many of them are dyslexic, mental health issues, homelessness. Fell out of school. I bet you 90% of them don’t have a high school diploma or equivalency diploma.”
The continued focus on guns and shooting comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on a case that might make it harder for New York authorities to deny concealed weapon permits, something the mayor said keeps him up at night.
“If this right-to-carry goes through the Supreme Court and becomes the law of the land, can you imagine being on the 4 train with someone having a nine-millimeter exposed?” Adams asked.
The ruling on this controversial issue is expected later this month.