Mayor Adams Says NYPD Spending Critical To Tackling Gun Violence After Meeting With President Biden
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Local leaders, including Mayor Eric Adams, are reacting to the outcome of President Joe Biden's visit to New York City.
CBS2's John Dias has more on the plans and promises to tackle gun violence that were discussed.
"So, we don't want to defund departments," Adams said Friday morning.
Adams said he and Pres. Biden agreed fighting crime comes down to removing guns from the street and properly using taxpayer dollars to deal with prevention and intervention, not stripping away budgets.
"Let's look at how we're spending the money, how many police officers we have that are currently doing clerical duties and not public safety. So, we're going to tell those officers, you have that gun, that shield, that vest, you should be on patrol," Adams said.
During his trip, the president praised historic levels of funding for civilian-run programs that mediate neighborhood conflicts and spoke about adding more types of trained people and cops on the street.
"We're about funding and providing the additional services you need beyond someone with a gun strapped to their shoulder," Biden said.
The president said the tools needed also include a new federal initiative, more resources to U.S. Attorney's offices to combat violent crime at the local level, and a national ghost gun program to train prosecutors to move against the weapons assembled from kits that are available online.
Critics said strategies can't be strictly aimed at guns.
"The real problem, which is the criminals, which are the criminals that are committing these violent crimes. We're never gonna get anywhere," retired NYPD Detective Angel Maysonet said.
Soon after the president's visit, a man was shot near a White Castle in East Harlem. The victim was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover.
Not far way, advocacy groups rallied. Their message: more police does not mean safer streets.
Mayor Adams is also calling on state lawmakers to revisit bail laws.
Meanwhile, City Hall is crunching the numbers to see how much it would cost to get crisis management teams in every neighborhood.
