Mayor Eric Adams discusses how to combat gun violence with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
NEW YORK -- Mayor Eric Adams joined Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday to talk about solutions to gun violence.
Both mayors say they want to focus on prevention and intervention, investing in resources and programs to prevent children from turning to gangs, as well as stopping the flow of guns into these cities.
They're asking the federal government to better fund the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and zero in on how we deal with ghost guns.
Adams says he plans to hold similar meetings with mayors across the country.
"We're pro-public safety and justice. This is not touchy-feely and saying let's ignore the crime that we're facing. No. We're saying the way you deal with crime is to prevent crime while you're dealing with what's taking place right now. It's an entirely new way of thinking about public safety," Adams said.
The latest crime stats show shootings citywide are up 10% compared to this time last year and up 58% compared to two years ago.