Transcript: Mayor Adams Participates in Live Interview on News12 and Takes Questions from New Yorkers

March 24, 2025

Amanda Bossard: Hello, everyone, and thanks for being with us here on News12, where local matters. I'm Amanda Bossard, and this is Ask the Mayor. It's a pleasure to be back here with you for the next half hour as we give you a unique opportunity to ask New York City Mayor Eric Adams your questions right here on the air. So the number to dial is 718-861-6800, and it will be at the bottom of your screen throughout the program for reference. 

With that, we are very happy to welcome back in person tonight with us here in studio, New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Always a pleasure.

Mayor Eric Adams: Good to see you, Amanda. It's good to be back in the BX, you know, and answering your calls, always some great calls. 

Bossard: Yeah, we always love to have you, and even better here in person. So while we wait for some of those calls to come in, and I invite our viewers to start picking up the phone and doing so now, I'm going to kick the conversation off, recapping what was a big week for your administration last week. You focused on Mental Health Week throughout last week and all of the different initiatives that your administration has tried to be tackling head on with regards to this. 

You spoke about things from the subway to schools to supportive housing. So what were some of the proudest achievements for you and your administration on this front so far?

Mayor Adams: And, you know, this thing that we call about mental health is impacting not only adults, but also young adults. And we wanted to touch on every aspect of it. And we see it every day, particularly those who use the subway system. We see people with severe mental health illness talking to themselves, unkempt, human waste, soiled clothing. And so we talked about our PATH program and our engagement with our PATH programs. 

We went into during the week what we're doing around young people in mental health, opening up school-based clinics, dealing with mental health, talking about our Teenspace, allowing young people to communicate right on devices to get the mental health support that they deserve. And even our veterans. We talked about what we're doing with our veterans, Commissioner Hendon over at the Department of Veterans Services. And so we have often ignored the impact of mental health. And I think that what I'm proud of is we're no longer compelling people to live in the shadows. We're showing that there's support here.

If this is from our clubhouses, these are the small gatherings where people could come and interact. We looked at one of our sites in Brooklyn. No matter where you are on the mental health spectrum, we want to be there to provide services for you.

Bossard: And what areas specifically are you seeing perhaps the most tangible changes when it comes to addressing mental health issues and then the trickle-down effect that comes from going at it at the root of the issue?

Mayor Adams: [There are] two areas that I'm really proud of, we had a group of youth town halls. And I was blown away. The top two issues in those town halls [were] better relationships with law enforcement and public safety and mental health. Not only for the individual young people who were there, but when they see their friends going through something. Our young people are being inundated with so many stimuli that really challenges them from social media to their personal relationships and involvement. And it is just imperative that we respond to that. 

And we're seeing, I think we saw almost 16,000 young people utilize our Teenspace. And the results are remarkable, particularly in Black and brown communities. Because we have, Black and brown communities, they have historically basically tried to ignore the mental health aspects. They'll deal with physical health. But when someone starts talking about mental health, it's almost like, listen, you got to handle it. Push through it. But that's not the reality. And the things we're doing is really, you're seeing it around young people and what we're doing with our subway safety and how we believe that's part of our subway safety plan.

Bossard: I do want to talk about teens specifically, since you brought up our youth town halls and some new policies that we've seen private retailers take, specifically in Brooklyn, about banning teens from being inside of those stores. I'm thinking specifically [of] the McDonald's, I believe, on Flatbush Avenue, as well as a target in the area, as well, that has put up notices banning teens without an adult in an effort, as they described, to deter from dangerous or perhaps even criminal activity. Do you agree with the move that these private retailers are taking in order to protect their facilities first and foremost?

Mayor Adams: A real challenging conversation, because I remember some of the McDonald's, I remember even as borough president, going to incidents where there were serious fights inside, shootings. Many of these retailers are dealing with real property loss from shoplifting, and so there needs to be a balance. And I'm going to have the Department of Youth Services Commissioner Howard look into this policy, see what we can do, and I want to engage my crisis management teams to have a group of roundtables and talk to the young people, because not every young person that goes into a McDonald's will do something that was disruptive, or go into a target and will attempt to shoplift. 

And so we have to find the sweet spot, but we can't ignore what these retailers are seeing and the impact on their business, because if we lose a target because of the great level of retail theft, or we lose business in the McDonald's because of a shooting, the store closes down, people are laid off, it impacts our economy. But I just learned about this, and I want to figure out how do we do it, because we don't want to ostracize our young people, but we have to be honest about what these retailers are facing. 

Bossard: And do you have any concern at all about the fact that these retailers might be taking enforcement of these policies into their own hands?

Mayor Adams: Well, you know, we have to examine what the law allows them to do, and we want to make sure that we're always, we are operating in conformity with the law. And based on that, we're going to make the right suggestions. So I'm going to have small business services reach out to McDonald's to change, to target their change. They have always been great corporate community partners, and so we're going to get them in the room, [and] ask, what are you guys seeing, what are you ladies seeing, how do we help you make sure that you can keep your businesses open? 

We have more small business operating in the city, in the history of the city, because of the initiatives we have done of decreasing the fines and having care periods for the fine and giving them the support. Commissioner Gross is doing an amazing job. We want to be there for small businesses, because they are literally the backbone of our economy.

Bossard: When you talk about small businesses, one of the biggest places in the Bronx where we see that is The Hub. And I know that this has been an area that you and your administration have really been focused on trying to clean up. 

We've seen issues of homelessness, we've seen issues of drug use, and I know that last month you announced the Community Link Program expansion in that area. What, if any, tangible changes are you seeing as a result of that in the short time since that announcement?

Mayor Adams: You know, a couple of things, and I was just looking at some of my notes on this. When you look at The Hub, here's what we were having over there. We were having open drug use, severe mental health illness, loitering, just the uncleanliness of it. And hats off to Councilman Salamanca, always on the ground dealing with these issues, and he reached out to us and we said, we want to do our program that we have been doing. And since then, we've been over there, we've had a couple of different interactions. 

When you look at the Hunts Point Mott Haven neighborhood, which is home to The Hub, DOHMH has distributed more than 13,000 kits for those who are over drug overdose. We have over 1,300 complaints and conducted over 1,400 operations across New York City on this. This is something we believe is important, you've got to get on the ground. You can't allow it to just expand. 

Now we have to be very clear, if someone is under the influence of a drug, you know, we have to engage them and get them off the street. We have to give them the services that they need. There are very strict laws on how you can give people the services they desire. And if they want to get up and walk away, we're limited on what we can do. And so we know it's about building trust and getting people the help that they need, particularly for drug use.

Bossard: And I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I think what you're referring to is perhaps this involuntary removal process that connects people who are experiencing mental health crises to help with or without their consent. I know the Council came down on some of the data that they say your administration provided. They said that because the data is incomplete in their words, they don't know its effectiveness. 

One area, if you will, that I think perhaps many people might draw the relation when we're talking about The Hub, there was this video that came out of a man who was on the street.

Mayor Adams: Please don't even describe it.

Bossard: You already know, eating vermin, right? And I wonder if this is perhaps an approach that you or the administration has thought to take in that circumstance. We heard from the woman who took the video. She says, I'm trying to get him help, but he's not receptive to it. I wonder when the city steps in. 

Mayor Adams: It is easy to sit in the comfort of the sterilized environment of a legislative chamber and talk about what needs to be done. And as that women stated, “What do you do to that person eating the vermin, saying leave me alone” That’s real, so idealism can’t collide with realism. I’m on the subway systems.  

I engage people who are dealing with severe mental health illness. I know what it's like and so I encourage my elected officials who have all these grand ideas come on the street, try implementing those ideas. I got a lot of pushback when I said we were going to disband encampments not allowing people to live on our subway system. 8,000 people we moved off [the subways]. This is hard work, it didn't start January 1st 2022. This has been a systemic problem that we were willing to face against all naysayers.

Bossard: Do you know if that woman has been connected to any help as of yet?

Mayor Adams: No, I don't you know and you know no one should have to go without a meal in this city

Bossard: Okay, more conversation to come after this, 718-861-6800 is the number to dial. We're getting to your calls right after this quick break stay with us. 

[Commercial Break.]

Bossard: Welcome back to Ask the Mayor here on News12 with New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Ready to get to some calls this evening?

Mayor Adams: Yes, yes, yes. I love this part.

Bossard: We have them lined up. So we're going to kick things off with Sabine, who has dialed in from Woodlawn tonight. Sabine, thank you so much for the call. And what's your question for the mayor this evening?

Question: Hi. Good evening, Mr. Mayor. First of all, thank you. The city got much cleaner already. I'm very happy. 

Mayor Adams: Thank you, Sabine. Thank you. 

Question: My question is what is a very big issue here in Woodlawn, and I'm sure everywhere else in the city. What is your actual plan to do to stop those extreme illegal street parties? Because we are so exhausted, we cannot even function anymore, especially here at Jerome Avenue and Webster Avenue.

Mayor Adams: And what is the street?

Bossard: Jerome Avenue. I think Webster Avenue specifically.

Mayor Adams: Yeah, with the street vendors? I didn't hear the point.

Bossard: Well, there's street parties, late night parties on those streets and noise issues that come with them. 

Mayor Adams: No, hate them. Hate them. Hate them. You know, folks need to be able to sleep to get up the next day. You know, you said Jerome Avenue and what other avenue? 

Bossard: Webster Avenue, I believe.

Mayor Adams: Webster? Yeah. Okay. I'm going to come up there over the weekend, and I'm going to have the chief of patrol join me. We need to look at that. That's not acceptable. You should be able to peacefully live in your street. If people want to party late at night, go spend your money at one of our nightlife establishments, which is booming in the city now. 

This can't take place on the street. And so I'm going to go up and take a look at them, and we're going to do the right enforcement. And I'm going to speak with the precinct personnel up there. Thanks for calling. We'll address it.

Bossard: Very exciting news to those people there, because I know this is an issue we've covered here on News 12.

Mayor Adams: Are they drinking on the street, hanging out?

Bossard: You know, loud noise, music blasting, it seems. The cars kind of all line the streets and party into the early morning hours.

Mayor Adams: Nope. Can't happen. You know, I'll see you up there this weekend. Whoever's going to be partying up there, they're going to see the mayor comes through.

Bossard: All right. Sabine, you heard it here first. Let's get to Asia, who has dialed in from Melrose this evening. Asia, thanks so much for your call. And what's your question for the mayor tonight?

Question: My question for the mayor this evening is, because all of the immigrant shelters are closing down and a lot of them are moving towards the Bronx, what is your plan? I mean, is there something for them in terms of housing, or are they just going to be lingering in the shelters?

Mayor Adams: I'm glad you asked that, because that is not a plan. No one comes to America to live in the shelters. So we put in place a 30 and 60 day program, 30 days for single adult males and 60 days for family. We had over 230,000 migrants and asylum seekers that came to our city, 190,000 have went on to the next step, travel on to the next step of their journey. 

And we're going to continue to close [the shelters]. We close a substantial number of shelters, and the goal is not to move them to the Bronx. As we close these new shelters, we're downsizing them, and the goal is to transition people out of the shelters and allow them to take the next step on their journey. And international immigrant leaders, we asked them to come to the city. They said, no, we don't want to come to the city because you're anti-immigrant. 

I said, well, come and see what we're doing. They came, they looked at what we were doing, they spent the day here, they had dinner with me at Gracie Mansion. They said, we want to apologize to you. No one in the country is doing what you're doing for immigrants in general and migrants and asylum seekers, and they said this should be a model for the country. 

So the goal is to downsize, not have one borough have the overburden of them, but this is a citywide problem that should have never happened in the first place.

Bossard: And I want to make the most of all of our time with you, Mr. Mayor, this evening as we bounce to another call from SA in East Flatbush. SA, thanks so much for your call this evening, and go ahead and ask your question when you're ready.

Question: All right. Thank you so much. So my question for the mayor tonight is, if the mayor is innocent based on the corrupt charges that were brought against him, why don't he work with DOJ to allow the trial to go on and he can prove his innocence to New Yorkers?

Mayor Adams: Well, first of all, I spent a lifetime fighting against reform, reform when people are unjustly treated. I've visited many of our correctional facilities upstate. Ken Thompson was a friend that did the Innocence Project, and all the things that come with it. My attorney, Alex Spiro, was in charge of my justice pursuit, and he's handling that, and we're going to have a lot to say when this is over. This has cost my family's millions of dollars, millions of dollars, to seek justice, and I stand by. I did nothing wrong. I protected the city, and I'm going to continue to do so as the mayor of the City of New York.

Bossard: On that topic, Mr. Mayor, what do you think about the fact that more than a month after the recommendation was given by the DOJ to drop the case, still no final conclusion has come? And what do you make of the special investigator's findings that they should be dropped without the ability to refile them down the line?

Mayor Adams: I agree with not only the Department of Justice that stated that this case should not have been brought, and the charges were flimsy. The Department of Justice stated that. And I agree with the independent judge-picked reviewer who came back and said that this should be dismissed. And so I think that they both are saying the same thing, what I have been stating. I think that the name of the game is the same system that unjustly charged me is the system that's making determination of the outcome of it. Let's follow the system of justice that we have in this country.

Bossard: Something we'll continue to follow as it plays out. The calls are just getting started here as we wait for more of them to come in. I do want to touch on something that's been of local interest, and that's the idea of bringing casinos to our boroughs. 

There are proposals in play right now, both of which have sparked some controversy in the Bronx as well as in Brooklyn. Overall, on the idea of bringing these casinos to the boroughs, do you or do you not support those ideas?

Mayor Adams: I support a casino. I was the chair of Racing and Gaming. It must be community impact. It brings union jobs. It builds the economy. Casinos should be done correctly. Just talk to the people in Queens where you have the casino there. It could be a huge benefit if the community wants it.

Bossard: More on that to come too as we see where those licenses go. Stay with us here on News12, more on Ask the Mayor right after this quick break.

[Commercial Break.]

Bossard: Welcome back to Ask the Mayor here on News12 with New York City Mayor Eric Adams with us in studio once again. Thanks so much for all the calls and all the responses that you gave to our viewers this evening. 

Mayor Adams: We need an hour. 

Bossard: I know. We would love that. So if you want to make it an hour, come back and do that anytime, especially, I think our viewers would love that too. But let's make the most of the time we have with you right now this evening. I know since we last spoke, a few more names have thrown themselves into the ring for New York City mayor and specifically the Democratic primary coming up in June. 

I'm thinking specifically of former Governor Andrew Cuomo and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as the latest to enter the race. You've said time and time again, as recently as I believe earlier today, that you plan on running as a Democrat in this race. 

What do you make of the challenge that you are facing from candidates from within your own party? Something that most incumbent mayors don't have to deal with.

Mayor Adams: So true. And, you know, just being real candid, you know, these bogus charges against me really just overshadowed our success. If you go on our website and people do it from time to time and they look at how many wins we have of public safety, double digit decrease in homicides and shootings, paying for foster care for children, high speed broadband, free for NYCHA residents, paying off a billion dollars in medical debt, more jobs in the city history, recovering our economy. 

You know, when you look at all of our successes, if we didn't have these bogus charges, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. But, you know, life gives you your hand. You got to play that hand. I'm going to run. I'm going to show New Yorkers what we have done. And people should get in. It should be competitive. I will put my record up against anyone's record of all of them. You know, many of them have a record. Some don't have a record at all. Running this city is extremely complex. And during difficult times, other people step down. I stepped up.

Bossard: Something that we hear time and time again from you here on this show. On that note, though, what do you make of some of your former supporters? And I'm thinking specifically of former Bronx borough president, for example, Ruben Diaz Jr. or Brooklyn Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. So quickly deciding to throw their support behind the former governor this time around.

Mayor Adams: These are friends. I don't take any of this personal. They looked at the field just like with Andrew Yang. Bronx borough president went with Andrew Yang the last time. Ritchie Torres went with Andrew Yang the last time. You know, look at the Eliot Spitzer race at one time. He started off  high, but all of that from Andrew Yang, they don't call Andrew Yang mayor, they call Eric Adams mayor. 

Bossard: A lot of time between now and June. And we look forward to welcoming you back here on News 12 between now and then. Thanks so much.

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