Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live on “The Beat 139” Podcast

October 16, 2024

Vernon "Donveto" Boisseau: Mr. Mayor, how you doing today, sir?

Mayor Eric Adams: If you're not on the beat, you're not on the streets of Harlem. 100%.

Boisseau: 100%. The last time I saw you was at the parade.

Mayor Adams: Yes, yes, yes. It was a solid turnout. I've been marching in that parade going back to my days of being a police officer. So, you know, it's always special when I'm able to just march and feel the energy in Harlem.You know, no one does it-

[Audio interruption.]

Boisseau: Jay, what happened, man? Oh, he in the car. Yeah. Well, Mr. Mayor is in the car so he had a little freezing problem.

Mayor Adams: Time to time.

Boisseau: Okay, so let me ask you a question. So it's a lot of stuff going on. So what's going on in the community?

Mayor Adams: Well, listen, we're doing a lot of things today. Today we were out in Queens destroying a bunch of vape products. You know, a lot of these illegal vape products, they're really targeting our young people. We destroyed twelve hundred pounds and we've been confiscating it out of the illegal cannabis shops. We get a lot of calls from parents that are talking about, you know, the problem with the vaping issue. And we want to keep staying on top of that.

We closed over twelve hundred stores so people can go to the legal places if they want to buy cannabis that's not laced with anything illegal. And remember, part of this legislation that was passed in Albany was dealing with the legacy of those who were illegally arrested for cannabis. We want to make sure that they can open up establishments and not be undermined. And that's what was happening with a lot of illegal shops. I think there was a large population of folks who invested in these illegal shops making money and we wanted to turn that around. So I was really excited about doing that today.

But also we're on the subway. And I know you see it, brother, as you walk the streets and on the subway system, severe mental health issues. Yes, we that's one of the number one things I hear from people when I'm on the subways and just, you know, rapping with people who ride the trains. And that's the mental health issue.

So we started an initiative called PATH, P-A-T-H. The whole acronym stands for what we want to do to go out and build on our subway safety plan where from 8 p.m. to 12 p.m. We have a team of mental health professionals that are going to partner with law enforcement to give people the care that they need living on our subways. It's amazing. You need almost 100 touches before you get someone with severe mental health issues to build the trust and come indoors. And so we're going to be key on having people go out, talk to them and really align themselves with some of the other stuff we did around the subway safety plan. People want to be safe on the subway. We're going to do everything possible to make that happen.

Boisseau: That's a very good thing. It's very important because I saw something on the news today where this lady and I could tell she had mental health issues where she snatched the money from the little kid in the grocery store. Right. Right. That's mental health all the way.

Mayor Adams: It is. And that's overshadowing our success of severe mental health issues. Random acts of violence of those two areas have really impacted us. And really the random acts of violence that you talked about snatching the money from the child of those random acts of violence are connected to severe mental health issues. When you get severe mental health issues under control, you really dissipate, if not eradicate the random acts of violence. And people would feel comfortable about walking the streets or on the subway system.

We had a meeting today with NYCHA tenant leaders and they were talking about inside their hallways, their stairways and their rooftops. People with severe mental health illnesses have started to creep in and live in those areas. And so we said we got to get on top of that and not allow it to continue to happen.

Boisseau: So is that connected to public safety?

Mayor Adams: Without a doubt, brother. You know, I say public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity. And I have not been in one community, particularly communities of color, where people are saying, listen, we want our law enforcement to partner with the community. You know, people don't call for less police. They just want police doing their job in a respectful manner. And that's what we're doing. We got a great team over there. Chief Maddrey, everyone knows and loves him. Deputy Commissioner Daughtry, Deputy Commissioner Chell, I'm sorry, Chief of Patrol Chell and Tariq. And First Deputy Commissioner Kinsella is helping whatever commissioner comes in.

Right now they're helping Interim Commissioner Tom Donlon. But no matter who was there, if it was Eddie Caban or Keechant Sewell, those commissioners, they always had a solid base from that team that have really made sure crime continued to drop.

Nine straight months, brother, crime has dropped in the city. You know, the subway system, we have the lowest number of robberies in our subway system in recorded history. And in August, which is traditionally a high month for shootings, we had the lowest number of shootings in the month of August in the history, recorded history of this city.

Boisseau: Wow. They don't talk about that, huh?

Mayor Adams: No, brother, you know, they focus because people want to tell you about the investigation, investigation, investigation. Listen, the lawyer got to handle that. I got to handle running this city and continuing the victories that we have shown. You know, everything from free high-speed broadband to NYCHA residents, to investing in foster care children, to reducing the cost of child care from $55 a week to less than $5 a week, turning around our economy. We have so many victories. If you didn't know it, you would think this city was in a disarray and disorder when it's far from that.

Boisseau: And that's why we have you on the show so you could talk about the things that they don't want to talk about.

Mayor Adams: Well said. Well said. And that's the power that, unlike when David Dinkins was mayor, he was really handicapped because he had to deal with the major networks and the major tabloids. But now, you know, when you have great shows like yours and other people utilizing the social media platforms, internet, radio and TV, Instagram, we have now shifted the power where you can speak direct to consumers. And that's why I love being on the show, because I'm able to speak direct to those Harlem Knights and others who tune into your program.

Boisseau: Correct. And the people in the community want to hear this stuff because, you know, it's like, just like you said before, we know that you don't know what's going on, but we're going to bring it to you.

Mayor Adams: Right.

Boisseau: Remember you said that at one of your campaigns out in Harlem over there, I think of Mount Morris Park or something like that. You said we're going to bring the information to you. And what you're doing right now, you're bringing the information to the people. That's very important.

Mayor Adams: Well said. And we got to bring it to them. If I don't, people will get a watered down version of what we're doing in this city. And I'll be bringing it directly to you and informing people in a real way.

It allows them to hear directly from me because the people elected me, not the opinion makers. And I need to speak in a language that the people understand. And listen, I'm an authentic child from these communities. And I need to speak directly to people in a real way.

Boisseau: That's right. And that's 100 percent correct. So what's the deal with Roosevelt Avenue?

Mayor Adams: It's unbelievable what's happening over there. A heavy level of prostitution, a heavy level of, you know, just illegal activity. And so we want to get over there. The community was saying […]

[Note: Mayor Adams was unable to regain connection and the interview ended]

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