Democratic Mayoral Candidate Eric Adams Among Those Who Met With President Biden On Illegal Guns And Crime Reduction
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD says as of Sunday, there have been 803 shootings this year, compared to 623 shootings during the same period last year.
Shootings are also up across the country.
On Monday, President Joe Biden met with city and law enforcement leaders from around the U.S. They talked about a plan to get illegal guns off the streets and reduce crime, CBS2's Alice Gainer reported.
New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Eric Adams was there, along with Lt. Anthony Lima of the Newark Police Department.
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The president's plan focuses on providing funding to cities that need more police, more community support, and it cracks down on illegal firearms with serious consequences.
"This is gonna help prevent crime and support young people to pick up a paycheck instead of a pistol," Biden said.
The president, alongside Attorney General Merrick Garland and other law enforcement and municipal leaders from around the country, talked about the nationwide surge in violence.
Biden listed five key points of his strategy previously announced and mostly voluntary, encouraging cities to use some of their COVID-19 relief funds.
The plan includes:
- Reducing the flow of illegal firearms.
"Justice Department creating five new strike forces to crack down on illegal gun trafficking in the corridors supplying weapons to cities of New York, from New York to the Bay Area," Biden said.
- Providing funding for law enforcement through the American Rescue Plan to hire police and pay them overtime.
- Investing in community violence intervention programs.
- Funding mental health and substance abuse programs, job training and summer job programs.
- Helping formerly incarcerated people re-enter society with housing and job training.
Adams, a former NYPD captain, attended the meeting as Brooklyn borough president.
"Does it mean do we need to hire more police officers that are being asked over and over again? No. It means using the dollars correctly and if that means putting more police in our subway system, let's do that," Adams said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio was not among those in attendance.
"I think the White House put together a group of people that they wanted to talk to about this issue, and I think it makes sense that Eric brings a particular perspective, from 20-plus years as a police officer," de Blasio said.
Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee for New York City mayor and founder of the Guardian Angels, who does not currently hold public office, said he was disappointed he wasn't invited.
"My credentials probably greater than anybody who is there," Sliwa said. "I've been shot five times, so I've been a victim of gun violence. I have Guardian Angel groups all over the country, especially in the larger, urban areas where gun violence is just skyrocketing."
Also in attendance was the director of the Newark Community Street Team, the city's community-based violence reduction strategy.
Afterward, the Memphis police chief said you can't just arrest crime away, re-emphasizing the need for balance.