Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts Summer Safety Briefing Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend

May 23, 2025

Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry, Public Safety: Good morning everyone thank you for joining us here today as we kick off the unofficial start here in New York City this Summer. Memorial Day Weekend is a time when New Yorkers and visitors start flocking to our parks, our beaches, and our outdoor spaces. 

It is also when we ramp up Summer safety operations because while Summer should be fun, it also brings unique challenges from heat waves to water safety. We are here today to let New Yorkers know how the city is preparing for those challenges and what you can do to help keep you and your family and yourself safe. 

I'm joined here today by the Honorable Mayor Eric Adams, the Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the Department of Parks and Recreation First Deputy Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker, New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol, and the Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, and I see Chief of Patrol Phil Rivera, Inspector Brian Bohannon all here today. To start us off, I'd like to turn it over to the 110th mayor of the safest big city in America, Mayor Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you, thanks so much. Good to be up here in the Bronx in this beautiful beach day, enjoying... and just enjoying, you know, the team. This city is not what it is because of any one individual person. It is the accumulation of all of the people involved, the first responders from Office of Emergency Management to the parks, to FDNY, to the Police Department, and really to you. 

I think that we've coined the phrase, see something, say something, do something. No one is doing it better in the Bronx without a district attorney who has just really taken a proactive approach to making sure we are safe, and we cannot thank her enough. And so it's official, the Summer season in the city starts today, and we're, as we say in the Bronx, we're outside. We want all New Yorkers to enjoy the Summer in the greatest city in the world, and we have so many activities that are happening, but we must do it in a safe way. And we want everyone not only to be safe, but to feel safe with the visible presence of our law enforcement, our lifeguards, and everyone that's part of our public safety apparatus. 

That's why today we're announcing our Summer Safety Plan. An all-out multi-agency effort to expand beach and water patrols, prepare for heat waves and extreme weather events. We want to expand our youth programming, protect against fires, stop impaired driving, and protect public safety and quality of life across the board. All of the things that come with a safe Summer, we're preparing for. We're determined to keep New York the safest big city in America, even during the Summer months. And those who are Bronx sites, you know that sometimes during the Summer we see an uptick in violence throughout our city, but we are going to meet this head on. 

And Police Commissioner Tish is here to talk about our Summer violence strategy, including the deployment of additional uniformed officers. We are boasting our presence on the subway, on the water, and in the air. And the NYPD would be extra vigilant in removing impaired drivers from our streets and tackling the quality of life offenses that New York has continued to tell us about all the time. And the commissioner will talk about the new quality of life unit that is extremely important. 

I tell people all the time, you cannot play loud music, drink, have your car double parked in front of Gracie Mansion, you should not be able to do it on Gun Hill Road. The same quality of life I expect, you should expect. Public safety is more than just policing. We also want to make sure our youth are having fun too, and that our upstream solutions are providing them with these things in the Summer. 

We have a host of things we want to do for our young people. You know an idle mind, what it does. The Department of Youth and Community Development is expanding youth programs during Summer evenings, particularly through the Saturday Night Lights initiative. Nearly 140 sports sites will now operate on both Saturdays and Sundays, including extended hours until 11 p.m. 

And this weekend, Summer in the City kicks off with the opening of our public beaches. New York City is a great, great beach town. Many people don't know that, but from Rockaway to Coney Island to the Bronx, we have some of the best beach beaches in the country. And so the Parks Department is here to talk about our lifeguards, beaches, pools, and park hours, as well as the rules to keep New Yorkers safe while swimming or enjoying our parks this Summer. 

And we'll also talk about how so many of our public safety agencies are handling the Summer heat, including Commissioner Iscol and his team at Emergency Management and the FDNY, Commissioner Tucker. NYCEM coordinates our daily beach safety operation across the city's 14 miles of beaches alongside parks, FDNY, and the NYPD. And the FDNY plays a tremendous role in our Summer plan, responding to emergency medical calls for those affected by the intense heat, or those of you who don't heed our warnings about the dangers of fireworks, the FDNY will be there. 

They also respond to dangerous wildfires. Last year, we saw how many wildfires because of the dryness that was associated with the lack of rain. And they provide the approved caps to convert some of our fire hydrants into 25-gallon per minute water sprays that provide relief from the heat without taking away water pressure from fighting fires and wasting water or flooding city streets. 

So there's a lot of information. We're going to compact it. But what we want to say as we start Memorial Day weekend and acknowledge the lives of those who have fought and are fighting to protect our soil, we want to tell you to have a good, safe Summer. We are going to be doing our job, and you're job is to enjoy the beauty of Summer in New York. I want to turn it back over to Deputy Mayor Daughtry. 

Deputy Mayor Daughtry: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'd like to bring up next to the podium the Honorable Police Commissioner, Jessica Tisch. 

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch: Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Mayor Adams, for your leadership and continued support of the NYPD. As we move into the Summer months, one thing is clear. Crime is down, and New Yorkers are safer because of it. We have seen declines in five of the seven major categories this year, including a 26 percent drop in murder, a 15 percent drop in robbery, and a 14 percent drop in shootings. 

That is thanks in part to the success of our winter zone strategy, a data-driven, scalpel approach to fighting crime. We've been identifying where crime is happening and putting resources exactly where they're needed. But when the warmer weather arrives, the dynamics of public safety shift. The days get longer, the streets get busier, and historically that has meant a rise in crime. 

That's why we're continuing that success with a plan tailored to the realities of Summer in New York City. Our Summer deployment plan, which launched on May 5th and runs through September 15th, is a citywide effort to reduce violence, to strengthen enforcement, and to ensure that every New Yorker feels safe in the months ahead. 

We have established 70 Summer violent zones across 57 different precincts in all five boroughs, including public housing developments and key parts of the subway system. We are concentrating these deployments during the hours when violence tends to spike in the evenings and overnight. 

Every night we are deploying more than 1,500 additional officers to foot posts in these areas, our largest Summer deployment ever. If you live in one of these neighborhoods, you will certainly feel this plan. You'll see the cops on your block, on your walk home, in the places that need them the most. 

And while the Summer is just getting underway, the early results have been quite promising. Since launching our plan nearly three weeks ago, the results have been extraordinary. Major crime in our Summer zones during deployment hours is down 23 percent, with double-digit drops in felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, and auto theft. 

Shootings are down more than 36 percent, and in the subway system within those zones, major crime is down nearly 40 percent. We are proud of these results, and let me be clear, we are not letting up. Our chief of Crime Control Strategies, Mike Lipetri, and his team have designed a focused plan, and our cops will continue to carry it out. This is about building trust through action, reducing harm through presence, and protecting lives through precision.

That's how you make a city feel safe, and you ensure New Yorkers can enjoy their Summer without fear. Before I close, I want to take a moment to thank the men and women at the NYPD. Their work is not easy, and it often goes unnoticed, but it is making a real difference across this city. Thank you, and happy Memorial Day.

Deputy Mayor Daughtry: Thank you. Now we're going to bring to the podium New York City's first deputy commissioner, Rodriguez Rosa, please.

First Deputy Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, Department of Parks and Recreation: Thank you, thank you so very much, and good morning everyone. Good morning. I'm so honored to be here today with Mayor Adams and with our wonderful amazing sister agencies to emphasize the important work that is being done to ensure that New Yorkers can have a safe Summer. 

At New York City Parks, we oversee over 14 miles of public beaches across the city, with also 53 outdoor pools. Each Summer, these sites become vital free public resources for our New Yorkers to enjoy recreation and cool off from the Summer heat, and we are so excited that the beaches will officially open tomorrow, May 24th. 

Our lifeguards will be on duty from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Remember, it is important to only swim when the lifeguards are on duty, and please obey all red flags and marked where they're marked in the swimming are not permitted. Parks has been laser focused on rebuilding the lifeguard system since the pandemic. 

We are very proud that last year the city successfully negotiated the lifeguard union contract for the first time in over 40 years. This of course allowed us to make very important changes that will help the recruitment efforts for years to come. Last year we had 930 lifeguards over the peak Summer season. 

Thanks to our work to modernize the certification process and improve and expand our training programs and increase wages, we look forward to having even more lifeguards on our beaches and pools this season. Thank you. 

Public safety for our city is really a collective effort with these agencies gathered here today and closely collaborating to keep New Yorkers safe. We are so grateful to my to our partners here, NYPD, FDNY, NYCEM, who play a vital role in helping us monitor our beaches, who play a vital role in also creating a safe environment. 

Before I turn over the microphone back over, I want to give a quick thank you to our incredible park staff that worked tirelessly through the Summer to make our millions of visitors safe and to our Mayor Adams for making public safety the top priority in the city. Thank you all, and I hope everyone has a wonderful Summer and a great Memorial Day weekend.

Deputy Mayor Daughtry: Thank you, thank you, commissioner. New Yorkers and visitors alike can rest assured that the entire public safety team is ready for Summer. We are here to help keep you safe. One key part of our safety strategy year-round, but especially in the Summer, is the use, my favorite word, drones. 

This Summer we'll be coordinating drone operations across all 14 miles of city shoreline, making sure beaches are secure. That includes drone teams from the NYPD, the FDNY, New York City Emergency Management, and parks handling aerial surveillance, search and rescue support, and yes, keeping an eye out for that rare shark sighting. 

So drones will be equipped with the rest tube. This rest tube will be attached to the drone, so when the NYPD, FDNY, OEM, or drone patrol, they'll be equipped with one of these. If they see a beach goer, a swimmer that is struggling to navigate the water, you know, submerging, going up and down, like basically drowning or getting caught in a riptide, the drone operator will fly over that swimmer, strategically drop this device, this rest tube. 

Once it hits the water, as soon as it makes contact with the water, it opens up into a flotation device, which the team will show you later on today. Our public safety team is also preparing for what's become a yearly threat, and that's extreme heat. Extreme heat is actually the deadliest weather-related hazard in our city, killing more than 500 New Yorkers each year. 

That's why the New York City Emergency Management is running its Beat the Heat campaign to help folks stay safe and know what to do. Just like you find the emergency exit on an airplane, finding a cooling center before the heat wave hits is essential. And don't just think about yourself. Check on your neighbors, especially seniors and families with young kids and pets. 

One of the best ways to beat the heat is agua, water. New York City has beaches and we have pools, but we also have fire hydrants too. And just like the mayor said, we're outside in the Bronx. I remember last year from patrolling the NYPD, almost every Bronx block had their fire hydrant open. What you may not know is it's actually allowed, but it has to be done safely. 

The FDNY depends on hydrants working properly with enough pressure to fight fires. So before you think about opening up that fire hydrant, please go to your local FDNY firehouse to get an approved spray cap. Any adult 18 or older with an ID can get one. 

Summer also brings more air quality events like wildfires, smoke, or high ozone days, extreme heat weather like hurricane, tropical storms, and flash floods. The best way to stay safe is to be prepared and to stay informed. 

I encourage all New Yorkers to sign up for notify, the city's official emergency management alert system, Notify NYC. Particularly if you live in a basement, an apartment, or low-lying area, make sure you sign up for these alerts before the next storm hits. 

Next, I'd like to talk about the fire safety. Every year barbecue grills cause thousands of fires. Often when someone flares up that propane grill for the first time after winter, so please be careful. 

So before you open up that grills, do a quick safety check. And remember, grills are banned on rooftops and multi-unit buildings. Fire pits and fireworks are also illegal and dangerous. 

Overloaded outlets are another major cause of residential fires this Summer. Plug in only what you need and unplug appliances when you're not using them. Bottom line, we want every New Yorker to have a safe and healthy fun Summer. That means being prepared and staying informed and looking out for one another. I'd now like to invite to the stage, I mean to the podium, the best DA in the Bronx, we outside DA, Madam Darcel Clark. 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark: Alright, good morning everyone. Mr. Mayor, deputy mayor, police commissioner, everyone gathered. Welcome to the Bronx Riviera. As you can see, Orchard Beach is a really beautiful place, even when it's not the greatest beach weather, but it's still, you know, such a wonderful place. And what a great place to kick off a healthy Summer. I could tell you, I spent many Summer days here, you know, as a kid getting away from the sweltering heat in the NYCHA apartment that we had without air conditioning in Soundview houses, so I know. And you talk about the fire hydrants, or telling my age, talking about the Johnny pumps, those were always open too. 

But thank you, mayor, for planning, you know, to keep things cool. All the resources that we're going to have to make sure that everyone can enjoy a beautiful Summer and do so safely. 

Our NYPD partners, thank you, Police Commissioner Tisch, for the extra support that we're going to see. And especially here at Orchard Beach, I know about that Orchard Beach detail. My husband, in the beginning of his 40-year career that he just finished, was on the Orchard Beach Patrol as well, so that's going to be great. 

To know that the lifeguards are going to be here, Commissioner Rosa, I know our former Bronx Parks commissioner, now she's big-time, but okay, but thank you. Thank you, Iris, you know. You know, and everyone, the Parks Department staff, everyone's going to be out here patrolling the beaches and, you know, making sure also to curb the drunk driving that we also see. And I'm really pleased to hear about the extended resources for our youth. We really need that. 

Our kids, our kids need activities and recreation. So if they're playing a sport, or even if they have a job, it's going to keep them from getting in trouble. I know many community people here, you all know what the challenges we're facing with our youth. 

Look, I remember starting age 14, I couldn't wait to get that Summer Youth Employment program job. And I had one from 14 on. And and that's why my office employs the SYEP program. I make sure that I have Summer Youth Employment interns in our office. I call them our, they're in our BRAVE program, which is Bronx Residents Against Violence Encounters. And we take the time to educate them on criminal justice, on our office and community service. 

So, you know, we have to do all we can to keep our parks safe, you know, and our beaches pristine and safe. You know, the Bronx is the borough of parks, believe it or not. People may not know that. But for so many of our residents, this is their vacation spot. This is their weekend getaway. 

So we want to make sure that it remains safe to them. So thank you, Mayor Adams and all the city agencies who are here, who work hard all year round, but in particular now this Summer. And as we enjoy the official kickoff of the Summer weekend, let's also remember the meaning of Memorial Day and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. So again, let's make Summer 2025 our most safe and enjoyable Summer. God bless.

Deputy Mayor Daughtry: Thank you, Madam DA. Now we're going to take a couple of on-topic questions, please. 

Question: This is the first opening of all the lifeguards. I don't know whether or not the day. Speaking of lifeguards, I'm curious. I know it's early. We don't have a full certification yet. But can you speak to whether there will be any full beach openings? I know there were some rolling closures and those construction pools. 

And additionally, if deputy mayor, do you want to talk about the drones? Just so we know, how many rescues have those cropping rescue drones made? Because I know, I think the number was none. I don't know. I know it's challenging in a rough ocean environment. But if you want to talk a little bit about more how those can practically work during a rip current or rough situation in the water.

Mayor Adams: Iris, do we have the number for lifeguards yet? [Inaudible.] Any beach, won't you give them?

First Deputy Commissioner Rodriguez-Rosa: Yes, Katie. So we have about 200 right now currently certified. We have about 280 lifeguards that are certified and we're certifying each and every day. And we'll finally get the final number by July. But we have definitely enough to be able to open the beaches. Thank you.

Deputy Mayor Daughtry: To answer your question, Katie, as of last year, none. But what happens is when the drone spots an anomaly in the water, whether it's a shark, let's say, for example, they're married up with the lifeguards. 

They would radio into the lifeguard station, and they'll start hitting the whistles and letting everybody know it's time to come out the water. As far as if the drone operator sees an individual that's struggling to stay above water, they will notify that because they're partnered with the lifeguard patrol. They will notify the beach patrol. 

Lifeguards will start responding to that actual to the area where the drone is hovering over. Just think about this. When a beachgoer, when a swimmer is having an episode in the water, people automatically tend to freeze up and they just don't know what to do because they're in such shock. 

Can you imagine when the drone operator, the pilot, is communicating through the voice app, like talking through the drone to the actual swimmer, saying that you are caught in a riptide. We need you to swim diagonally because the drone is hovering from above so they can see if there's a twirl around the person or not. They're caught in a riptide. If you're caught in a riptide, we tell people to swim diagonally to get out the riptide, but also to let the person know to hang on, to fight, that help is on the way. Those extra seconds will also save lives. We haven't seen anyone having an anomaly in the water and we hope that we don't, but if we do, we're prepared for it.

Mayor Adams: We're going to use my voice because I have a calming voice.

Question: Mr. Mayor, I know that you and the police commissioner have announced a new Summer safety program for the MTA, so I wanted to ask you about the fact that a rapist on parole was arrested for beating up the woman on Randall's Island. I wonder if you could talk about that and the efforts you were able to fight to actually catch that person.

Police Commissioner Tisch: Yes, earlier this week we had a horrific assault on a woman on Randall's Island. She received immediate medical attention and is currently in the hospital fighting for her life. We had a very aggressive investigation and we have identified a person that we believe to be responsible for that assault.

[Crosstalk.]

Question: So, 2024, there were like seven drowning deaths in the city, the highest number since 2019. I guess the goal this year is zero. How can we keep zero deaths?

Mayor Adams: A combination. One, it is extremely important that swimmers look at the signs that tell people where they should not swim. That is so important. And we're asking families and friends to make sure we do just that and to create a real buddy system if you're at the beach and swim only when lifeguards are on duty. That is so important. 

We extended hours. We try to do everything that's possible to allow people to have a maximum amount of beach time. And that is what D.M. Daughtry just stated with the drones. This is a new attitude to our toolbox that we put in place last year. 

To be able to drop these life rafts is extremely important. To be able to hover over to give the lifeguards an additional amount of time. And then our swimming courses. We have expanded free swimming lessons, particularly in communities that historically did not have or could not afford to pay for swimming lessons. So it's a full-frontal approach. It's not a one-size-fits-all. It's a holistic approach. Look at every avenue that we see the problems of drowning. So we don't want to have those large numbers, and we're going to take a full-frontal approach.

Deputy Mayor Daughtry: So right now the drone is about to take off from the launch pad, and you can watch it take off behind us. But if you wanted to keep an eye on one of the screens over here, it's going to be a presentation where we're going to drop the... Just put on a screen over here. So the drone is on patrol, as it would be, at one of the local beaches. 

As you can see, the drone is up in the air, and the drone pilot will be married with a park lifeguard equipped with a walkie-talkie that they can communicate to the base at that beach. And can we just put the screen on so they can see what the drone is seeing? 

Question: [Inaudible.]

Deputy Mayor Daughtry: About over 40. Yeah, with all the agencies combined. There's going to be full cooperation, because I know last year there were NYPD drones. Katie, if you wanted to volunteer, I would definitely run in to save you, Katie. 

So if you can see, we're going to simulate that somebody's having a, let's say, an episode inside of the water. They're navigating to stay above water, and then the drone is going to fly directly over them. And as the drone is over the person, they are communicating with them through the actual controllers, saying, we see you, we know you need help, please, you know, help is on the way. 

We're going to drop this flotation device off to you, and once it opens up into a flotation device, we need you to put it under your underarms so you can stay above, float while the rescue personnel come over there to rescue the individual. 

Whenever you're ready to drop, you can go ahead. It's going to drop, and watch when, as soon as it hits the water, you can see, as soon as it hits the water, it's going to open up into a flotation device. Here it goes, and boom, see? As soon as it makes contact, it opens up into a flotation device. This is a four-feet one. There is a six-foot one that we actually, we should have them by now, and the person, this can hold any body weight. 

If you're, any body weight, you put those rafts, you put them directly under, over your chest and under your arms, and as this is happening, the drone operator, the pilot is giving them instructions on what to do with the actual life raft. Yeah.

Question: [Inaudible.]

Mayor Adams: I was saying the reason it's a game-changer, you have the raft here, but two, the coordination between the communication coming from the drone and the visual. You're not going out there, the lifeguards are not going out there doing guesswork. You can actually communicate, and that communication has never been done before. 

You're communicating during that emergency, you're communicating to the person, telling them, relax, help is on the way. There's a totally different dynamic than feeling as though you are alone. This is so important. That's a beautiful shot.

Question: Does this make it safer for lifeguards in affecting these kinds of rescues?

Deputy Mayor Daughtry: Yes, yes and no. It makes it also easier for the lifeguard also, because remember, the drone is flying, there could be hundreds of people inside of the water, especially this week, and if it's the weather permitting, you have a lot of people inside of the water. 

The drone is hovering directly over, they're at an altitude directly over the person that is in distress. So when you, lifeguards are running in, just remember that Baywatch, the commercial, when you're running down into the water, they know exactly when they're swimming, they can look up to see where the drone's at, and it's easier for them to find the person, because sometimes when they're swimming, depending on the current, it could be moving the person downstream as well, down the shore as well. 

So it's easier that the drone is directly hovering over that person, so they know, and maintaining eye contact with the drone, exactly where they need to be at, what spot. They're not guessing, okay, I last seen him over here, I last seen a person over here. The drone is directly over them. The NYPD, the TARO team, the drone team, the OEM, FDNY, so there's all the agencies that are working collectively together, and working together to make all beachgoers safe. 

Question: [Inaudible.]

Deputy Mayor Daughtry: Well there was drowning, but remember, the majority of the drownings happened when the beaches were closed, but there wasn't deployment there.

Mayor Adams: There's a response to this, that I think a lot of people don't understand, that we look at what happens, we fail to look at what we prevented from happening. You know, everybody look at the number of drownings that happened, that we want to bring down, but how many drownings did we prevent? How many shock attacks did we prevent? These new additives allow us to save lives. Is it 100 percent? No. Are people going to swim when they say lifeguards are on duty? Yes they are. 

We need to continue to introduce things that are going to prevent these issues from coming in place. So we're not going to sit on our hands. We have drones, we're dropping devices, we have cameras, and if we've got to find another evolution, we're going to do another evolution. We're going to continue to try until we get to zero drownings. Yes, ma'am, before we bounce.

Question: Yes, pertaining to all of that that you're going to have, are you still going to have a boat that flows up and down the water when people are here?

Mayor Adams: I don't know which boat is that. Is that the police boat? Fire boat?

Question: [Inaudible.]

Mayor Adams: You're already heard from the fire commissioner, we're going to still do patrols. So enjoy the weekend, folks.

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