Mayor Adams touts double digit decrease in shootings, adds "we have work to do"
NEW YORK -- Mayor Eric Adams spoke with CBS News New York on Monday to address the issues facing New Yorkers, from crime to mental illness.
The latest numbers from the NYPD show overall crime was down 5.5% in February, compared to the same time last year. Major crimes in the subways were down just over 9%.
We asked the mayor whether this means New Yorkers are safer and what other steps the city is taking.
"It is the continuation of when I inherited a city that we saw an increase in violence, we saw an increase in our seven major crimes, such as robbery, burglary, homicides. We have a double digit decrease in shootings, double digit decrease in homicides. Our subway, due to our Subway Safety Plan, is extremely safer," he said. "We have work to do, we're not spiking the ball. I was clear that public safety is a prerequisite to prosperity in this city, and we're going to continue to move in that direction."
Adams went on to speak about bail reform, the NYPD's handling of the George Floyd protests and its Strategic Response Group, as well as his plans to address mental illness and the fire safety concerns surrounding lithium-ion batteries.
Watch his full interview above for more.