Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live on NBC'4's "News 4 NY at 5PM"

May 7, 2025

Gilma Avalos: Mayor Adams is joining us now live to talk about a number of topics. Mr. Mayor, thank you for being with us. And we want to start with that protest at Columbia. A group of protesters has entered Butler Library. They're refusing to leave. The situation is escalating with pushing and shoving right now. This is finals week. Graduation is a couple of weeks away. So has the university reached out for help from the NYPD? And how does the city plan to approach this, Mr. Mayor?

Mayor Eric Adams: Yes, this behavior is unacceptable. We are in communication with the staff there, and the NYPD is on its way. And I want to say to parents, if your children are on the Columbia campus and participate in this, I think you should reach out to them. 

This is not what you do on a college campus, particularly going inside a library and protesting in this manner. We are in engagement with the college. They have asked for our help, and the NYPD is en route.

Adam Kuperstein: Oh, they're en route? They're en route to that scene now? 

Mayor Adams: Yes. 

Kuperstein: Is that how I understand it? Okay, thank you, mayor. Mayor Adams, you know, you recently celebrated this drop in crime citywide, something that you've campaigned on, you've talked about so much. 

At the same time, there's these high-profile incidents like the gang attack on cops in Times Square, where the suspects turn out to be repeat offenders with long rap sheets. Often, they end up back out in the streets after the arrest. I know a lot of the legal challenges are out of your hands, but you run the city. You want to continue to run the city. What can you do to fix the recurring problem here?

Mayor Adams: Yeah, and I think that's important what you said. Crime has decreased. The last quarter, the lowest number of shooters in recorded history. Do we have these high-profile cases with 8.5 million people? Yes. What you expect from the Police Department is to make apprehensions. We did it immediately. 

A large number of gang members who not only assaulted police officers, but carried out about 20 robberies in this city, repeated offenders. Some of them were arrested eight and nine times. We're doing our job, and that is to apprehend, keep the peace. Now it's time for the other part of the criminal justice system to do their job. Lawmakers, judges, making sure we don't have these repeat offenders coming on our streets.

Avalos: Mayor Adams, has the Trump administration relayed to you that they'd like to accelerate the pace of deportation from New York, and if so, how would the city be involved in that?

Mayor Adams: No, we have not received any communication of that magnitude. The law is clear of what we can do and what we can't do. We collaborated with the ICE and HSI and others when we took down 27 gang members that were known for sex trafficking, carrying guns, and committing crimes, but when it comes down to deportation, the law does not allow a city employee to collaborate on deportation.

Kuperstein: Would you like to see that law changed in the city?

Mayor Adams: There's many laws I would like to see. I would like to see us expand how do we deal with people who commit crimes. Those individuals who are doing right, serving the city, trying to pursue the American dream, like many immigrants have done before them, I'm in support of that, and we're going to continue to be supportive of those who are law-abiding citizens. I want to go after those who are going after innocent people in this city.

Avalos: Mr. Mayor, thank you for your time. We appreciate it.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. Take care. 

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