Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live on PIX 11's "News at 6"

June 18, 2025

Shirley Chan: We are now joined by New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Mr. Mayor, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us this evening.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you, it's great to be on with you.

Chan: Now we want to get to several major announcements happening this week, but first some other headlines to get to. We just reported on the arrest of a Bronx babysitter accused of beating three children. PIX 11 obtaining this troubling video. Now should that ACS program be re-evaluated and are you currently looking at the ACS contracted vendor who hired the sitter given this troubling incident?

Mayor Adams: Of course and you're right and it was disturbing for all New Yorkers and those of us who are parents and we are analyzing the program, we're looking at the vendor. This was a vendor, this was not an ACS employee and we're going to make sure the proper steps are put in place.

Chan: Alright, yesterday we saw the arrest of Comptroller Brad Lander at immigration court. He was there to accompany an undocumented person to their hearing, seemingly trying to follow the rules and go about the law the right way. 

What is your message to people who may be afraid right now of going to their scheduled hearings because of the threat of being placed in custody?

Mayor Adams: Well we have clearly shown our support to allow those who are going for hearings to have access to the courts. We've communicated with the attorneys who are handling some of these cases and we think it's important and we invested millions of dollars into legal services and assistance around this area.

But every day I'm getting up doing the same thing that I said is important for New Yorkers, encouraging people to go to school, to go to the hospital [when] they need care, [and to] reach out to the police if they're the victim of a crime. 

We would never collaborate with ICE when it's civil enforcement and we have been really clear. When you look at the over a hundred thousand people that we put through the system to allow them to take the next step on their journey who are migrants and asylum seekers, I'm gonna continue to do that job every day.

Chan: Alright, and following up on that, we saw in the arrest video Mr. Lander did ask for a reason for his detention, a warrant of sorts, really any sort of explanation and [it] seems like none was provided. What do you have to say about that? Is that acceptable?

Mayor Adams: Well I'm not sure exactly what took place there and how it was communicated there and I think that's the job of his attorney to make that determination. 

We sent out clear notifications and communications with our team if they are interacting with ICE or any other federal agency how to act accordingly and I would encourage every civil servant in the city to follow those procedures. 

And so I don't know exactly what happened in that courtroom, what communication he had with the federal officials and so I don't want to jump ahead of myself. He has an attorney. I think that attorney should communicate that.

Chan: Alright, well let's get right now to this big expansion of the NYPD's Quality of Life Division. The pilot showing an improvement of response times to 911 and 311 by 16 minutes. 

Thousands of summonses written and hundreds of arrests over non-emergency issues from noise complaints and I know a big problem [including] my neighborhood illegally parked vehicles, those blocking garages. How will this program get rolled out citywide now?

Mayor Adams: I'm so happy you said that because you know no one can block the driveway of Gracie Mansion. No one can play loud music in front of Gracie Mansion. If they can't do it in front of Gracie Mansion, they should not be able to do it on Mother Gaston Boulevard in Brownsville or Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem. 

I want the same standard and quality of life I receive here at Gracie Mansion every New Yorker should receive. No one should be blocking your driveway and doing those things. That's why these 1,500 trained officers that know how [to] resolve conflict resolution, know how to go after those quality of life issues, abandoned cars, loud noise in the middle of the night, just unsightly conditions that we have witnessed. 

We need to match our ability to bring down crime, which we've done last quarter, the lowest number of shootings and homicides in the recorded history of the city, but we got to match it with people feeling safe and that's what this quality of life citywide division is going to do.

Chan: Do you have the staffing for this or are we still looking for more officers to complete this and also what is the budget for this program?

Mayor Adams: Well that's the beauty of it and hats off to Commissioner Tisch for understanding that we are going to bring on 4,000 more officers into the department. Our classes are continuing to come through. We enrolled a class just a few weeks ago but the dollars are not no additional dollars because we are utilizing existing personnel. 

We're saying to our officers on the precinct level and those officers who are on sector patrol, we're no longer passing by those issues that need to be corrected. The goal is to correct conditions and use the personnel we have to do it.

Chan: Alright, we have more to get to. Let's talk about your financial literacy announcement today. So many young people [are] leaving school not knowing the basic tools like budgeting, saving and really much more. What's your plan to incorporate these important life lessons into schools early on?

Mayor Adams: And I'm sure you'll agree with me when you know no one is teaching us and no one taught us on how to open that bank account, how to do investments in stocks and bonds, how not to have high-yield credit cards. When I left college my credit score was a mess and I had to fix it and correct it and I didn't have those basic tools and that's what we did today with Commissioner Mayuga from DCWP, that's the agency. 

We are now going to teach children not only the chemistry bonds but how to focus on stocks and bonds. We want them to be financially literate so that they can make the smart decisions early. You have a bad credit score or make bad decisions with your money, it could haunt you and really slow down your progress in life and we're going to partner with banks and have access to banks in our schools and give basic training where you have financial literacy instructors and educators in the districts.

Chan: Alright I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you about early voting. Have you voted yet?

Mayor Adams: No I have not. I like to vote on Election Day. It brings a lot of great deal of energy. I'm going to be voting for my councilperson. I'm not going to be voting for mayor because my candidate won't be on the ballot. He'll be on the ballot in November and so I'll be looking forward to voting for Eric Adams in November.

Chan: And after primary night can we expect you to kick-start your campaign for a re-election for mayor?

Mayor Adams: Well we're going to do a major announcement but I learned from Marty Markowitz, if you are delivering every day you don't have to start campaigning because every day you're delivering for New Yorkers and that's what I'm doing. 

Like rolling out my financial literacy, bringing down crime, building housing. The New Yorkers are going to see the results and hear the success we've done in the last three years and six months. So every day I'm out there among everyday New Yorkers.

Chan: Alright Mr. Mayor we will leave it at that. We thank you for coming on and covering a wide range of issues for us tonight.

Mayor Adams: Thank you, take care.

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