Mayor Eric Adams: One of the best quotes is promise made, promise kept. You know, I think about those conversations that Jackie Rowe-Adams, A.T. Mitchell, and many who are here. In 2021, it was a feed off of what we've committed our lives [for] many years, not only during the time when I was mayor. But being the state lawmaker that co-sponsored the bill that brought SNUG into existence. That was guns spelled backwards. $5 million allocation, and it gave way to what we see right now in the crisis management team.
These folks have lobbied from my days of the state senator to borough president and now the mayor. The goal was to save lives. And as we wrap up this year, it's time to reflect [on] everything we have done and all we are grateful for. Today, we give thanks for the greatest gift of all, and that is safety, public safety. And it's not only professional, it's personal. I think about A.T. Mitchell's niece being shot a few weeks ago at a Sweet 16 party and how it impacted his family and so many others.
But this December, we'll continue to see record low shooting incidents and shooting victims in our city, topping off another year and closing out our eighth consecutive quarter of declining crime. Let that settle in. Eighth consecutive quarter. And historically, when we talk about the decrease in crime, we talk about the work of the men and women of the New York City Police Department, and in that paragraph, we leave out the sentence of the crisis management team. I don't want history to reflect that they did not play not only a vital, but crucial role.
The term retaliatory shootings, to be able to prevent that, is the partnership between the New York City Police Department and those who are on the field. And today, standing beside me, are the men and women of the crisis management team doing the real work of ensuring that we don't have those retaliatory shooters and preventing shootings from taking place in the first place. And I just want to say thank you. Thank you for what you have done and will continue to do.
Our administration has been laser focused on public safety. You know this quote by heart, public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity. If we're not safe, we will never prosper in our cities. And the numbers don't lie. Clearly, the numbers do not lie. And today, I'm announcing another important milestone. 25,000 illegal guns have been removed from our streets since the start of this administration four years ago, including 1,600 ghost guns. Those are the guns that are being made using 3D printing and other forms of assembly.
Let that sink in for a moment, 25,000 illegal guns. Not able to feed the river of violence, we were able to dam that river with our actions. In a world where just one gun can tear an entire community apart, we prevented 25,000 of those actions, keeping families whole and left thousands of hearts unbroken.
I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this incredible achievement and really must commend Commissioner Tisch, our police commissioner, and Chief LiPetri for what he has done. From day one, communicating with Chief LiPetri, putting together the crime strategy, Commissioner Howard over at DYCD, our neighborhood safety teams, our public safety teams, our community response teams. And our previous commissioners, Commissioner Sewell and Commissioner Caban, for their continuous contribution.
And of course, as I stated, our community partners. Every day you are out there doing this dangerous work, and we acknowledge you and thank you. And I want every one of you to know how grateful this city is for your dedication, skill, and bravery. They do not have bulletproof vests and guns and backups. They have themselves, and they have stood tall and firm with a level of bravery that should be commended.
The achievement builds on our record of success in making New York City a safer, more livable city. Getting thousands of guns off the streets has helped drive a 55 percent decrease in shootings. 55 percent decrease in shootings, and nearly a 36 percent reduction in homicides citywide since the beginning of our administration.
2025 is shaping up to be the year with the lowest number of shootings in New York City's recorded history. Lowest number in New York City's recorded history. The first 11 months of 2025 had the lowest number of shooting incidents and shooting victims ever recorded in an 11-month span, beating the previous record low set in 2018 by 44 incidents. And it goes further than that when you compare the number of shooting victims of 2021, the year before our administration began. We have a thousand fewer shooting victims year over year.
Now that is what you call public safety, making the promise and keeping that promise. And December looks to keep the record on track. The declining crime numbers were largely driven by NYPD's Fall Violence Reduction Plan, an initiative that Commissioner Tisch and Chief LiPetri made sure that we had a data-driven, precision policing strategy to combat shootings and all violent crime.
Since the start of the program on October 13, overall index crime is down 16.4 percent, and shootings are down 36.4 percent in the zones during deployment hours. NYPD's ongoing work to take down the most dangerous gangs also plays a role in driving down shootings and removing guns from the streets. So, so far this year, NYPD detectives had carried out 61 gang-related takedowns. And that is why the gang database is crucial. And when you tamper with public safety, you hurt the lives of innocent people. And [this year they] seized more than 5,200 illegal guns since January alone.
Too many families have been impacted by gun violence in our city. And my heart goes out to them, and we will continue to be dogmatic about taking illegal guns off the street up until my last day in office. We will make it happen, and the next administration should ensure that they too start the year by saying public safety is a prerequisite to prosperity.
Children shot walking to schools, officers shot patrolling our streets, grandmothers caught in the crossfire. In our first few weeks in office, we saw officers being shot. We lost Officer Mora and Rivera. We knew we had a mission in front of us, and we implemented that mission. And these are the people we are fighting to protect. One arrest, one gun recovery, and one life at a time. Each gun we take off the streets means we are closer to that goal.
But every firearm taken off our streets is only one part of the equation. We must make sure those who carry illegal firearms and commit acts of violence are prosecuted. They cannot continue to be a part of a revolving door criminal justice system where dangerous people inflict violence on innocent people. We must support the rules and reforms that will bring these perpetrators to justice.
Too many people who are carrying these illegal guns have repeated interactions of violence with law enforcement, and that must change. And Albany must play a role in changing that, and the City Council, they must play a major role in this part.
So, I'm proud of the many records that we have set in this administration, from record job numbers to record housing numbers. But nothing makes me prouder than the records we are setting in the fight against gun violence, beginning with our Blueprint to End Gun Violence in January 2022, right up until this moment.
We have never taken our eye off the ball when it comes to public safety. Over the last four years, we have worked to create safer streets, safer subways, and [a] safe city for New Yorkers and their families. We have succeeded and exceeded across the board. Just as I promised during my campaign, we're leaving the city safer and better because of the action of the men and women of the New York City Police Department and the men and women of the crisis management team that joined us.
The safest big city in America, the greatest city on the globe, and the best place to raise a family. And none of this work would be accomplished without CMS teams, who worked in some of the neighborhoods with the greatest needs. They led the way on organizing a network of residents, credible messengers, and community leaders that mediate community conflicts. They address trauma and connect young people to mentorship and risk reduction plans. And they mobilize the community to promote peace and shift norms around the use of violence.
So today, we are honoring 29 of our crisis management system providers from each borough with a key to the City of New York as a symbol of our enduring partnership and our commitment to an all-hands-on-deck effort to reduce violence. These providers work tirelessly with the Department of Youth and Community Development Office to prevent gun violence, and I want to thank them for the work that they do, and I want to mention them.
In Brooklyn, we have: Brownsville In, Violence Out, CAMBA, Brownsville Think Tank Matters, East Flatbush Village, Elite Leaders, The God Squad 67th Precinct, Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island, Kings Against Violence Initiative, Man Up Brooklyn, Save Our Streets Justice Innovation, University Settlement Society of New York's Switching Lifestyles, The Wick Against Violence, Southside United Housing Development Fund.
And in the Bronx: Bronx Raises Against Gun Violence, Good Shepherd Services, Gun Down Lives Up, Lincoln Hospital; Release the Grip Urban Youth Alliance International, Save our Streets Justice Innovation, Stand Up to Violence, Jacobi Hospital.
And Manhattan: Getting Out, Standing Against Violence East Harlem, Harlem Mothers Stop Another Violent End, Manhattan Legal Aid Society, Not Another Child, Street Corner Resources, Speak Peace Forward.
And in Queens: 100 Suits for 100 Men, Community Capacity Development, King of Kings Foundation, Life Camp, Queens Royal Priesthood, Wheelchairs Against Gun Violence, Where Do We Go From Here. And finally, representing Staten Island, my brother, Central Family Life Center.
All these men and women here, they were left off the pages of history, historically. No one gave them the respect that they deserve, but that ended January 1st, 2022. They came inside, out of the cold, and they got the support that's needed. We need to make sure they continue to get the funding and support on the ground to continue this success. I want to hand it off to our amazing police commissioner, who continued the legacy of ensuring that violence would not find root in our city, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch: Thank you, sir. Good afternoon. Once again, the NYPD has achieved a milestone in removing illegal guns from our city. From the start of Mayor Adams' term, the expectation was clear: get the guns. And now, four years later, that focus has produced some real results. More than 25,000 guns seized by the New York City Police Department.
That amounts to more than a dozen illegal firearms taken off of our streets every single day for 1,459 days. This is no accident. It is thanks to focused strategy, to data-driven deployments, and to relentless police work carried out across the city. And the impact of that work is showing up in our crime numbers with record-breaking results.
While this year is still underway, I want to share an early look at where Mayor Adams' crime numbers stand. So far this year, shooting incidents and victims are at their lowest levels in recorded history. And we're not just beating the record, we are crushing it. New York City has seen 239 fewer people shot compared to last year, and a whopping 1,016 fewer than in 2021, the year before Mayor Adams took office.
Murders are down 21 percent, and robberies are down 10 percent. Burglary, grand larceny, and auto theft have all declined as well. This year was the safest year in the transit system since 2009, excluding the pandemic years, when no one was taking the subway. And compared to last year, subway crime is down nearly 5 percent. July, August, September, October, November combined were the safest five months in recorded history, excluding the pandemic years on the subways.
And transit robberies are at their lowest levels ever for the first 11 months of the year, including the pandemic years. Taken together, these numbers place Mayor Adams' New York City at one of the safest points in its modern history for violent crime. They reflect a city where stability has returned to neighborhoods and communities, and where the sense of disorder is receding.
This kind of work demands courage, discipline, and resolve, traits shown by our cops in the most dangerous of situations. That's why I am so proud to lead this department, and so eternally grateful to Mayor Adams for the trust that he has placed in me and for the clear public safety vision that he set from day one.
From the beginning, he has supported this work by setting priorities, by supporting our strategies, and by standing with the officers who carry out this mission. He understood what this work requires, and he gave this department the backing to do it right.
Because ultimately, it is the men and women of the NYPD, along with all of our partners, who turn that vision into reality. Their work is reflected in the milestones that we are making today, and in the historic reductions in crime and violence that we are seeing across the city. Now I'd like to turn it over to New York City's gun violence prevention czar, A.T. Mitchell. Thank you.
A.T. Mitchell-Mann, Founder and CEO, Man Up! Inc.: So good morning, all. I am standing out, actually, behind in awe. I'm just in awe of this administration's collective efforts. This administration, and those of us that have been doing this work in community violence for some decades can, I think, openly admit, has been the best administration that we had to work with ever since we began to put our boots on the ground.
And those that disagree, they may not be where we are. Because where we're located, as has been mentioned, is within those hottest areas of the city, and those most dangerous precincts. And all one has to do is go where we find ourselves, where we're located, and we can tell you and show you that there's a big difference that's taking place. Since this administration, this mayor has come in and he's made a promise to us, and he has kept that promise.
Today is a testament of that. What you look at– you see behind us, those are the men and women and the executives of teams that right now are the boots that are on the ground, that go out every single day. Just one shift out of the week, they're paid. But they go out there every single day, and they put their lives on the line to keep our city safe. And the numbers, again, back that up.
Today is a very bittersweet day for me, because as you may have heard, also my niece was just recently shot in Brooklyn at the Sweet 16 mass shooting, where she's still recovering from her injuries in the hospital. Today is her 16th birthday. So if you think about it, two weeks ago, somebody tried to snuff her and take her life out by using one of these illegal type guns that we see before us.
And so we cannot rest, we cannot settle, we cannot muster when it comes down to public safety, because we have to make sure that every person in this city, in every neighborhood of this city, has the feel of a safe community like every other part of it does.
When you come into our communities, we welcome people in, we want them to feel comfortable. But we want them to come into our communities with good intentions. And so what we've been doing over the last four years is building that relationship on the ground and making a big difference.
I'm so extremely proud of my fellow organizations that are with me, the people that are present and the people that are not present, I'm so super proud of you all. I'm so super proud of the administration, the agencies that you have assigned to us, mayor, to work alongside [us]. I cannot tell you how it's been a big difference since we arrived at the Department of Community Youth and Development.
I'm speaking from those persons that have been on the front line, that's been in the trenches, that ran and grew a non-profit from the bottom up. And I cannot tell you that this is the best time that we've had. It can be better. I'm not saying that there's not room for improvement. We have work to do. But we are certainly on our way, and this administration has made sure of that.
And so from us, to you, Mayor Adams, we want to say thank you, brother. Thank you, brother. No other administration has given us this level of recognition, ever. And we've actually had even the [a] working relationship with our men and women of the Police Department ever, under this administration, because of the commissioners that you have chosen, because of their team and their commanding officers in the areas where we are. We have a better relationship than we've ever had.
And I can attest because I speak to these men and women throughout the days and the time and they have confirmed that. Is it perfect? There's nothing perfect. Is it getting better? Yes. It's much better than it was before. And so all we have to do is to agree, to disagree on certain things, but agree that we all collectively got to go back out there and keep this work going.
And so on behalf, again, of the Crisis Management System, I want to thank you for giving us this honor, sir, and giving us this stage. We know we've got a couple more days left, but I just want to say, you know, thank you for even considering us and a promise that you made that you kept, brother. Thank you so much. I want to bring forward Bishop Paul Peart.
Bishop Paul Peart: Good morning, Mr. Mayor, commissioners, my fellow New Yorkers. My name is Bishop Paul Peart. I'm from the New Testament Temple Church of God in the Bronx. And I'm here because our children and youth are at risk from crime and violence. And because faith leaders stand ready to help protect them. I must, right off the top, bear witness to the fact that over the past number of years as faith leaders, we have been burying more young people than old people.
And that is certainly a tragedy, but things are changing. This administration recognized the reality and invited the faith community to be a partner in the work of violence prevention. Special mention here to Pastor Gil Monrose and the God Squad out at the 67 Precinct in Brooklyn that have extended the C3 program throughout the City of New York.
Together with law enforcement and others, including gun violence prevention groups [and] clergy, have helped remove, as has been reported, more than 25,000 guns from our streets, 55 percent decrease in shootings, and city-wide crime reduction by about 18 percent. That speaks of real progress. And it proves something simple. When [the] government, police, and the faith community pull in the same direction, lives are saved.
No one should be surprised that the faith community is part of the solution. Historically, the church helped build the very institutions that serve society. Schools and universities, hospitals, social services, and charities were built in large part by the faith community. We have always been here, and we are able and we are willing.
The problems we face in New York City require all hands on deck, including clergy. The clergy violence prevention program must not only continue, it should be expanded and funded. When shootings occur, clergy respond. We stand with victims and their families. We offer grief counseling, funeral ministry when needed, and emergency financial assistance. We help calm tensions so retaliation doesn't take another life.
But [the] response is not enough. We must get ahead of the violence. That means bringing churches fully back into the after-school programming, massively expanding summer camps, and growing youth employment. With the right support, faith-based sites can open their doors after school on weekends and all summer long, offering tutoring, mentorship, safe recreation, job training, and paid work for our teens.
We look forward to continuing partnering with the incoming administration. Violence touches every neighborhood. Every parent's heart is at stake. Let us save our children before the gangs reach them. Faith, government, and community together can make New York the safest big city for every child on every block. God bless New York. Thank you very much. And now we call upon Jackie Rowe-Adams to come.
Jackie Rowe-Adams, Founder and CEO, Harlem Mothers and Fathers S.A.V.E: 25,000 guns. How many?
Audience: 25,000 guns.
Rowe-Adams: Let's say it again. I didn't hear that.
Audience: 25,000 guns.
Rowe-Adams: You don't just do that without a great leader. To our family, our family is the crisis management family. But our family is also the ones who've had losses. A.T., may God continue to bless you and your family. I'm just hearing it. In the spirit, you know that God is in charge. And everything's going to be alright because when you stand here with Mayor Adams and our commissioner, NYPD, saving lives, look at all these guns.
Your niece is going to be alright and she's going to be out here standing with us the next time. Yes, she is. But let me say, this is not easy. First of all, our mayor has been doing public safety since 2006. When Harlem Mothers Stop Another Violent End started our organization on the steps of City Hall. The mayor was at that time the sergeant of the 100 Black Law Enforcement. And when we stood on the steps of City Hall at that time, Assemblyman Keith Wright called Eric Adams, our sergeant, and said, “We have five mothers standing here crying, saying who's giving our kids these guns?”
I'm a mother who lost two kids to gun violence and I'm with so many other moms at that time and we wanted to know who was giving our kids these guns and Eric Adams stood on that step of City Hall not knowing he was going to stand as the mayor of City Hall. 2006, that's when I met A.T. Mitchell, I met [inaudible], and it was us three. And may we rest in peace of Vernon Williams. It was us three. But Eric Adams with the 100 Black Law Enforcement found out in Harlem who was giving our kids these guns, I did not tell you because it was taken care of.
So I say that to say he ain't just start this, he's finishing this. And he [is] not only finishing this because he's going to continue to work with our Jessica Tisch, our wonderful commissioner, I call her my angel. But we need to know that he built this empire here. He built this empire and put boots on the ground and saving lives. He ain't just talking, he's walking and talking. And it makes a big difference. I thank everybody that's here because, you know, it's not easy.
They can say what they want about our Mayor Adams, but he was the bomb.com. When it came to getting these guns off the street, he did not play. He believed in saving lives. So I want to say to all of y'all today, thank you. Thank you. And DYCD, Howard, let me tell you something. Your organization went to work. Now, I've been around a long time. And I've been a part of DYCD, but you're the best that ever did it because [of] this man right here.
Mayor Adams has put you in place and your team is the best. Let's [give a hand] for DYCD. Let me say, it's a lot to be said. I could be up here an hour or two, could I? But anyway, we're here today because the mayor did not forget us. He didn't leave us out there in the street on our own. He walked beside us. He walked behind us. He walked in front of us. And he made sure each one of us was complimented and supported. The team that he put in was there every step of the way.
And I just want to talk, when you talk about clergy, you're talking about a lot of work. A lot of work. Say his name. Y'all say his name. Who did the work? Say his name. Thank you, Pastor Monrose. So, I'm going to look forward to the next administration and hope that they follow the lead. Because the tone has been set. The tone has been set. Our mayor set the tone and did the work. And we followed him and worked beside him.
So, if our next administration is smart, they will carry on what has been done. Because it's about saving lives. And if they're serious about saving lives, they'll work closely with Jessica Tisch, our commissioner. And the NYPD. Because that's who did the work to get these guns off the street. The community stepped up. Everybody stepped up and said enough is enough. Mayor Adams, if you go to the moon, we don't know his journey. But only God knows his journey. But if you go to the moon, Jackie Rowe-Adams is going there with you.
So, I just want to thank you on behalf of not only me. And not only everybody here. I just want to thank you on behalf of the families that you have helped save and stood behind. You will never be forgotten because you are the best. Did you ever know that you're our hero? You are our hero. Keep up the good work. And may God continue to bless you. And don't let nobody turn you around. And I know your next journey is going to be the best. And I'm going to stand beside you. And I'm going to stand behind you. And I'm going to stand in front of you.
Because you are the best that ever did it. You are the best mayor that ever, ever in the years I've been here. That has ever done all this work and really cares about saving lives. So everybody, let's continue to save some lives. May God, to God be the glory. Thank you.
Mayor Adams: We're going to do a few on topic [questions]. Again, Pastor Monrose, thank you, man. You know, [he] traveled with me from Borough Hall to City Hall. And you know, you've just done an unbelievable job. You know, we're just wallowing in our success.
Question: Do you know how many guns were taken off with the help of the crisis management teams? And also, do you know how many guns were taken off the street with the help of the gang database?
Mayor Adams: The gang database? We talk about the crisis management team. We won't talk about– they have to do their work in a separate, right Iesha.
Police Commissioner Tisch: I don't have a separate breakdown of how many of the guns were part of cases where the gang database was used.
Mayor Adams: Do you have that? We don’t have the exact number for the gang database.
Question: Jackie, brought it up, your next steps, whether it's going to the moon or whatever–
Mayor Adams: No, no, no. That's a good question. Because we get, you know–
Question: What are those next steps? And will those next steps include going to the inauguration of Zohran Mamdani, which is two days from now?
Mayor Adams: Yeah. Listen, I'm excited about the next step. I cannot tell you. You know, anyone would like– I said it over and over again. Anyone would like to finish the job that you started. You know, I had a plan B, it was God’s plan A. I said it over and over again. And I'm just really fortunate about the level of opportunities. So, you know, I want to do my book. You know, I want to go back to school. But I also want to use cryptocurrency, you know, to go after violence, educate our children, and really deal with antisemitism that we're seeing globally.
So I've always wanted to uplift families and children. And I think this is a great opportunity to use technology to do so. And also, I have a great deal of opportunities for what I always wanted to do. You know how much I love traveling. And my next step is going to allow me to do things in other countries. But there's a combination. So there's a combination of [going] back to school, doing my book, using technology like cryptocurrency to improve the lives of our children and going after hate in a real way, specifically antisemitism.
Question: January 1 [inaudible].
Mayor Adams: After I speak with the incoming mayor, I'll be able to answer the question. My goal is not to disrupt his day. That's a very important historical day. And it's unfortunate that there's a body of some of his supporters, some of them, who would rather protest everything. Throwing a rock is not a plan. And some people walk around with a stone in their hand. And so if the incoming is cool, I'm cool. I don't mind celebrating his day and showing a smooth, peaceful transition of power.
That is what we know. And so my presence there would show that smooth transition. But I would like to speak with him. And he's the incoming mayor, and I don't want anything to disrupt his day. Because it's an exciting day to stand on the steps of City Hall and be sworn in as the mayor. There are those in New York who are really in a celebratory mood. And we don't want anything to disrupt that. And if he's cool, I'm cool.
Question: So you want to use crypto to go after antisemitism. Is this part of a specific opportunity?
Mayor Adams: It's an opportunity to use technology. All types of technology that I want to use. And I think many people know that I'm a big technology person. And that's another form of technology that has not been used. And I want to utilize it to do so.
Question: How will you use technology?
Mayor Adams: I'll have more to say in the years to come.
Question: Mayor Adams, any advice when it comes to continuing to fight crime for the incoming mayor?
Mayor Adams: Yes, listen to Jessica Tisch. She's the police commissioner. She has proven that she can do it. What her and Chief LiPetri did with the violence zones took us down another level. So I think it's imperative that she knows what she's doing. She knows the department. She knows how important technology is going to be. You don't need to start from scratch and try to figure this out. Public safety is not an experiment. And you have a large number of men and women who are willing to do the job.
I would say to the incoming mayor, hit the ground, go into the precincts [on] day one. Talk to roll calls day one. Go into the subway system. Speak with our transit officers to see what it's really like trying to take a person off the subway system that's dealing with severe mental health illness. I think that Jessica has shown that she could move this city in the right direction. I thought it was a smart decision to ask her to stay on board. There's more work to do. And we're still a terrorist threat. Many people don't realize that.
Because we have kept that threat at bay, it still exists. And we need someone that has a partnership with our federal and state government that can pick up the phone, and deal with these important issues. And so if I could give a piece of advice is listen to Commissioner Tisch. I'm the only mayor that understood law enforcement. There was never a mayor in the history that knew what needed to be done to disband to violence. I'm the only one. And as much as I knew, I still listen to Jessica. So, you know, that's my advice.
[Crosstalk].
Question: Are there specific initiatives or policies that you've asked the mayor-elect to keep in place?
Mayor Adams: He and I spoke. And as I shared [with] him when I spoke with him– [the] conversations are in a zone of silence. If he wants to talk about what we spoke about, he can do so. Everyone that knows me, I have one reputation. I don't talk about things I have in private. And that's why people are willing to speak with me. So he can go into that, I shared my thoughts. And I don't want to get in the way of his administration.
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