Transcript: Mayor Adams Calls in Live on 77 WABC's "Cats and Cosby"

December 20, 2023

John Catsimatidis: Mr. Mayor, welcome to Cats & Cosby.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. It's great to be on. How are you guys doing? Happy Holidays to you.

Rita Cosby: You, too.

Catsimatidis: Oh, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.
And we're worried. I understand the City Council just passed those two bills. And we're wondering what time tomorrow morning are you vetoing them?

Mayor Adams: Well, you know… And people, New Yorkers need to really understand both these bills, particularly the bill that calls for documentation with the Police Department, which we already do. We already have cameras, we already have them filling out forms.

The problem with this bill is something called Level 1 stops. This deals with a criminal investigation or inquiry or non-criminal inquiry. Any time police make an inquiry to a civilian they have to document the pedigree of the person, the reason for the inquiry, et cetera.

So, if there's a missing person, the police officer is walking around with a photo and they ask Ms. Jane, did you see this person, they're missing. Do you have… Do you know who they are? That officer must document that pedigree information and the reason he stopped her.

So, some people would say, okay, what, that takes three, five minutes to do that documentation? Yes, that person. But let's say he asked 20 people, that's 100 minutes. And when you multiply that in one night, a police officer is not doing one call of service, he could do anywhere from eight, nine, 10 different calls of services — or, what we call radio runs — and every time and everyone he speaks with that he's questioning he has to document it.
We are talking about taking police offices from protecting the public to doing paperwork. This just makes no sense. For Level 2 stops where they're criminal in nature and others in Level 3, that's one thing. But you should not have basic services police officers are needing to document. And that's what we try to speak with those who are advocating this bill, we should just take out the Level 1 stops, and they refused to do so.

Catsimatidis: I can't believe it. Why are they doing this? And the other thing, we had the union guy from Correction on before and he's worried that they're going to really beat up some of his people and they can't do anything about it.

Mayor Adams: Well, and you know what? It's not even only his people, [Vinny Bocha], Vinny would tell you, but remember, 80 percent of those who are assaulted by dangerous prisoners are inmates themselves. So, if you have, you know, I like to keep this simple. If someone commits a crime on the street, an assault, we put them in jail. We don't do we due process before putting them in jail. You arrest them, and then they go through the due process procedure.
So, if you're saying that if someone's assaulting an inmate, a correction officer or civilian, we've got to do due process before you could put him inside the facility? And you could only hold them in for a certain period of time? You know, there are some serious extremely violent people that are in the Department of Correction that preys on inmates and prey on correction officers and other civilians that work in a correctional facility. So, you know, this assault on public safety is just wrong, and… 
Catsimatidis: Mayor, this is… 
Mayor Adams: And there's a philosophical disagreement in the city that the numerical minority is controlling the narrative. The overwhelming number of people in the city, they support their police, they want the police to do public safety and not filling out paperwork. And that's the same with the Department of Correction. And it's just that… 
Catsimatidis: We agree. We agree. Congressman… 
Mayor Adams: ...get engaged...
Catsimatidis: Congressman King?
Former US Representative Peter King: Yes. Mayor. First of all, it's good to talk with you. Thanks for your work.
Mayor Adams: Yes. Thank you, Congressman, thank you for your kind wishes and blessings. Thank you.
Former Representative King: And very welcome. What is it with the City Council? I mean, when you talk to them, you know, what do they say? They just have a certain agenda, they won't listen to reason or they won't compromise? I mean, you know, crime can get out of hand and you think it's many people, it's in their communities where crime is the worst.
Mayor Adams: Well said. Well said. And you know, when we communicated over this bill trying to show them how they did not understand the wording, because the wording of what the Level 1 is, Congressman, it came from a court ruling. And we showed them the wording, and they still stated that this does not include those basic inquiries. It's just the unwillingness, you're digging in deep.
And then you're having advocates write legislation, you have people who have a far left agenda who don't believe in supporting police, and they're writing this legislation and just handing it off to the council people.
Cosby: Yes. Mr. Mayor, this is Rita Cosby, great to talk with you again.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.
Cosby: And you know, I want to ask you about the migrant situation, because it is so cold outside. I know the other day Floyd Bennett Field, the bolts were coming off the tent there. We're [inaudible] the migrant shelter for I think it's 1,700 are there now. What's the plan? Where are we going to put all these people, especially as weather's getting really cold and messy.
Catsimatidis: It's going to snow for Christmas.
Mayor Adams: And you know what? And it's a real question as we got last week almost 4,000 migrants that came to the city last week. When you start getting 4,000 a week, 8,000 every two weeks, 16,000 a month, just think about those numbers where we have to ensure that all of their basic needs are met by law.
That is why we're in court now fighting about the right to shelter. And people have often asking, Eric, why don't you stop the buses? Because we're not allowed to. You know, why don't place people back in these places where they're sending to? We're not allowed to do that.
We're not allowed to tell people we're not going to give them their basic needs. Our hands are tied, and that is why we are fighting to have the federal government do a better job down at our border and to give us the resources that goes with this national crisis.
Catsimatidis: Mr. Mayor, any estimate yet the differential of how much budget cuts you have to make in between the amount of… I mean, everybody wants the sun to shine for the rest of the century, but there is going to be a shortfall. Any estimates of how big the shortfall is going to be?
Mayor Adams: Well, we're looking now, because of accumulation of things, the bulk of it is the migrant and asylum crisis. We're looking at on January we have to come up with a $7 billion closure, a gap in our budget, $7 billion. It's just unbelievable when you think about it. We already did a five percent cut across the board. And so now we have to go back and find $7 billion.
Listen, this is not sustainable and it's not cost effective for our city. You know, our hearts may be endless but our resources are not. And this is really unfortunate that New York is going through this. I know New Yorkers are angry, but let me tell you something, I'm angrier than all of them, because the city has been recovering, moving in the right direction, bringing down crime, getting people back to work. And here we are saddled with this national crisis.
Former Representative King: Mayor, when are we going to hit the bursting point? I mean, if they're coming in 4,000 a week and the money's not coming to compensate the city, how long can you handle this before the city just breaks down?
Mayor Adams: Listen, we already hit the bursting point. The flow has overflowed us, and that is what you're seeing that because the law requires that I balance my budget every two years, you're seeing that we are required to come with these cuts, because there's only a certain number of ways you can generate resources in the city. And one of them is cutting your expenses, and these expenses are decimating, you know, everyday New Yorkers.
Cosby: You know, before we let you go, Mr. Mayor, you also said people need to mobilize to get to D.C., calling on people. Explain that and how frustrated are you with D.C.?
Mayor Adams: Well, you know, I think that we are a country of standing up and fighting for what we want. D.C. is the center of our national government and it can’t be just Eric taking ten trips. Lawmakers need to see their constituents and we need to speak on the federal level, why is this happening to our city? I’m sure the congressman will tell you nothing is more powerful than having your constituents at your doorstep saying we want you to fight on behalf of our city and that is what we’re saying.
It’s time to join the coalition that we’ve built and let D.C. know this should not be happening to the economic engine of this country, which is New York City and New York State. 
Catsimatidis: We understand that, and Mayor Adams, we commend you for fighting for our city and we commend you for going to Washington. It seems like they were very, very mad that you weren’t going to Washington to yell about the shortage of the budget because of the migrants and because what happened to you could not have happened without White House approval.
Mayor Adams: So, listen, I can't speculate how we got to this level. It’s many of the reviews but I'm just going to stay focused on the mission. I have my legal team who's dealing with cooperating with the review that's taking place. I need to stay focused and navigate the city out of the crisis that we're in.
And you know what? I have one gift that I'm proud of, and that's my ability to compartmentalize series of things that go on at one time. And I have a good team and I'm going to continue to move, focus. I must navigate us out of this crisis.
Catsimatidis: Mayor Adams, we support you 100 percent… 
Cosby: Yes. We're rooting for you.
Catsimatidis: We're rooting for you for going to Washington and trying to make a difference. And you know, I guess Washington is just a stubborn place these days.
Cosby: Yes, and listen, we love New York. We want huge success.
Catsimatidis: We want success for New York.
Mayor Adams: Yes, we do. Yes, we do.
Catsimatidis: I look forward to the… 
Mayor Adams: Thank you very much.
Catsimatidis: ...New Years, I look forward to that ball coming down for the new year, and hopefully, 2024 is a better one for all of us.
Cosby: Yes, and actually, Mr. Mayor, what are you doing for Christmas? What are you doing?
Mayor Adams: I'm going to do some volunteer work, I'll probably go up to NAN — the National Action Network — to give out some food and go out and just really share cheer throughout the entire city.
Cosby: Beautiful.
Catsimatidis: Thank you. Thank you for coming on with Cats & Crosby.
Mayor Adams: Okay.
Cosby: Merry Christmas.
Former Representative King: Merry Christmas, mayor.
Catsimatidis: Merry Christmas.
Mayor Adams: Thank you. Take care.
Cosby: Merry Christmas.
Catsimatidis: And we'll talk to you soon.

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