Mayor Eric Adams visits Rikers Island, announces seizure of 2,700-plus weapons
NEW YORK -- Mayor Eric Adams was at Rikers Island on Wednesday, announcing progress in a violence crackdown, following several inmate deaths since the beginning of the year.
"Look at this. This is only an example, this is an example, of what they've retrieving," Adams said.
The mayor pointed out glass busted out of windows and turned to knives, plus drugs, cigarettes and other contraband, rooted out of Rikers now that his administration has given the green light for searches, as seen in Department of Correction images.
More than 2,700 weapons and contraband have been recovered since the end of February, CBS2's Dave Carlin reported.
"Tactical search operations work and we're going to continue to do them. Since we resumed tactical search operations in February, slashings and stabbings have declined by 63 percent," Adams said.
Rikers island remains in New York City control after a federal judge saw enough progress to avoid the feds taking over.
Improvements underway include covering glass with metal covering so inmates can't get their hands on the knife-making material.
About 20 percent of the windows are retrofitted.
Adequate staffing remains a problem at Rikers. With total workers at 7,000, the average for daily sick-outs is 900.
However, the mayor said with this taxing and dangerous a job, having many people out injured or ill is to be expected.
"The job you are doing, people don't want to do, yet you do it every day," Adams said.
Benny Boscio Jr. is the Correction Officer's Benevolent Association president. He said although a push for hiring more officers failed, the mayor tried.
"Look I give the mayor credit. I give credit where credit is due. He put the amount of officers in the budget, so we're grateful for that. Our fight is with the City Council. Shame on them for not giving us the resources that we need to make everybody safe in our facilities," Boscio said.
He said any progress at Rikers Island, while appreciated, is just not enough.
Adams did not go into any detail about the eight deaths in city jails so far this year.
The Legal Aid Society responded with this statement, saying, "The extraordinarily high death rate on Mayor Adams' watch, and the suffering of all who are kept in abysmal conditions inside, are a humanitarian crisis that this administration seems incapable of rectifying any time soon."
