Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts “Hear From The Mayor” Radio Show

July 21, 2024

Gary Byrd: It's time to hear from the mayor. Our mayor, Eric Adams. As normally each and every second Sunday of the month, WBLS is proud to welcome the 110th mayor of New York City, and the second mayor of color, and the first hip-hop mayor in the city's history, Eric Adams.

It's the third week we have a schedule change, but our mayor is standing by. Not only is the program called Hear from the Mayor, the mayor wants to hear from you. Let's welcome him to the broadcast this morning from 107.5 WBLS, our mayor, brother Eric Adams. Eric, good morning and welcome.

Mayor Eric Adams: Good to hear from you as well, and to all of our listeners out there. Just want to have a real lively conversation, and I want to welcome everyone back to another episode of Hear from the Mayor. As you stated, I'm your mayor, Eric Adams. David Dinkins two, I like to say.

If you're the first time listening or tuning in to the show, please feel free to reach out. You can sign up to hear more from me by visiting nyc.gov/hearfromeric. You can also sign up on our website to text with Eric, talk with me on WhatsApp, and listen to my Get Stuff Done podcast. For today, feel free to call in so we can hear your thoughts, your opinions. I like to say [8.3] million New Yorkers, 35 million opinions. New Yorkers are extremely opinionated.

You can call (212) 545-1075. (212) 545-1075. Really excited today. I'm joined in the studio by a friend who I've known probably close to 40 years, brother Anthony Miranda. He was the former head of the Latino Officers Association, and he's now the sheriff of the City of New York. I tapped him to come in and get in this game to deal with not only cannabis, but he's going to talk about some other things that the Sheriff's Office is currently doing. He has really taken over the initiative of this fight against illegal cannabis shops, and he's siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars from illegal businesses that are doing it the right way.

Last night, we were out up in the Bronx, where he and his team, around about 12, 1 a.m. in the morning, they did a major bust of a large cannabis location in the Bronx. This is the second location in the week. The inspection in the Bronx, we saw on Timpson Avenue, 1,300 pounds of cannabis flower and pre-rolls, 200 pounds of mushrooms, 33.2 pounds of concentrate, and so many more edibles that really target our young people. Why don't I turn it over to Sheriff Miranda. Tell us how you've been able to get in this game now with the changes in legislation up in Albany, and what is the mission that we're going after?

Sheriff Anthony Miranda: Thank you, mayor, for the introduction, and our mission is to make sure that we're protecting our community, both their health and their safety. The new powers that you were able to fight for the city to come in and do these inspections and seal these locations have made a big difference, and it's the community's complaints and their partnership that continues to elevate us and get us the information that's necessary to do the enforcement.

Communities see these locations even when they start developing, when they come into the community, they know first, and so we want to thank all the community participants who give us information and contact us on a regular basis and share the details of what happens out there. This is just one of the responsibilities of the Sheriff's Office, but it's one that we're taking on head-strong based on your mission, and it's the cooperation of all the city agencies. It's the Sheriff's Office, the New York City Police Department, and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection that are working jointly to be able to do these operations.

Mayor Adams: Tell me something, and I always say, Lieutenant Rosa, what is Rosa's rank? Is it Lieutenant? Okay, Lieutenant Rosa, folks, you're going to see she has become a household face and name. She's out there all night. I see her at these locations, but tell me this, be interested about the last three locations, which are not just regular cannabis stores with signs on top. What was unique about these last three locations this week, and what was the role that the community played?

Sheriff Miranda: The locations this week are both storefront distributors, distributors on a larger scale to other locations, and they also have consumption on their sites. The first one was a bodega, a grocery store with all kinds of products. You didn't know how much product they had in the back until we did the inspection, and we uncovered thousands of pounds, there are thousands of merchandise.

Then you have the other location here where prior to us having the authority for the inspection, they had signs up on the outside and pictures in front of the location, and what they've done now is they've painted it over completely black, but they were still selling to the community. It was a community resident's information. They're the biggest partners that we have in this fight ahead of us, keeping the community safe and protecting our kids.

Mayor Adams: Now, we not only found cannabis and mushrooms and other edibles, we also found weapons inside the location.

Sheriff Miranda: In this last location, we found a shotgun and air pistol as well, and we found all the packaging toward the children, Almond Joy, and things like that. Every kid's candy is now being packaged into this cannabis business, and the milligrams are dangerous. They have over 1,000 milligrams, 5,000 milligrams. This is clearly a clear danger to somebody consuming it.

Mayor Adams: When people walk into the store and they purchase these illegal items, you don't realize what is actually in it, what is laced with, particularly mushrooms. Mushrooms, hallucinogens. It is extremely dangerous. Some of the concentrated products that I saw, so you don't really know what you're taking, and it's a real danger.

Sheriff Miranda: It's a danger for even the people who want to participate legally in the market. They don't know what these products are being mixed with, the chemicals or what they're smoking. These products are being sprayed with different chemicals, different flavors. People are no longer smoking cannabis, they're smoking chemicals, and that's what's having a more dangerous impact on their health and their mental state.

Mayor Adams: When I saw the location last night, which was an illegal social club, and then the two bodegas, there seemed to be a shift in the game. There's no more marketing only of cannabis locations, and now they're putting them in everyday stores. That's why it's almost crucial that we have the partnership with the community to actually identify the location and close them down.

Sheriff Miranda: They're selling these products side by side by the chips and sodas and the candies that kids would normally be consuming. They're trying to normalize that in the legal market and they're facilitating the access to this type of stuff to underage children. It's an extremely dangerous product in our community. It presents a clear danger. I think even the adults, like I said, even the adults who wanted to leave the market understand that it was never intended to what they're doing right now.

Mayor Adams: Let's look at some of the numbers. How many shops have we closed? How much money in illegal products and fines? Because now they're paying fines. What type of dollar amount are we talking about?

Sheriff Miranda: We've closed currently, today, since the new powers on May 4th, over 680 illegal locations have been padlocked and shut down. We've seized over $21 million in illegal product and have issued fines in excess of close to $56 million.

Mayor Adams:That's impressive. Then when you look at the fact that prior to this, we were unable to make those inroads.

Sheriff Miranda: Yes, prior to this, we were simply seizing the product, issuing fines, and they would operate open right back up. The new authority allows us to close down those locations for at least a year. It has an immediate impact throughout the community. We're also holding the landlords accountable to making them responsible when they are deliberately renting these locations or unintentionally renting these locations to the illegal business.

Mayor Adams: What I find fascinating is how much people don't realize these illegal shops are magnets for crime. We have a lot of robberies because it's a cash-only business, because since cannabis is not a federal approval business, approved business, people can't use credit cards. They have to use cash.

I also find that how it just impacts on the quality of life of a community as well. Residents really want these closed. That's one of the number one things we hear about the illegal cannabis shops, how it preys on children and how it brings down the quality of life of a community.

Sheriff Miranda: The community is absolutely the largest voice that's being heard here. They're complaining on 311. They call our offices directly. They call the local elected officials. They are absolutely bringing it to the attention when they see it in the communities. There was a space for illegal cannabis business to grow. There were benefits that were supposed to come back as you designed it for the comeback to the city. Unfortunately, this illegal market is robbing our communities every single day of the benefits that were supposed to come back from the program. It's extremely important for the safety reasons, the health reasons, and the benefits that were supposed to come back to our communities.

Mayor Adams: It was a real indicator for me when we were in the Bronx last night or early this morning, when you had inside that illegal social club, they had a ticket machine that you'd normally see in the grocery store. When you wait in line, you take your ticket number and you wait in line. That's a real indicator for how crowded it is. They had a machine that you take the ticket, you wait, when your number's called, you come up. If that's not an indicator of a thriving illegal business, I don't know what is.

Sheriff Miranda: This location, again, direct sales to the community. They had bulk sales, larger sales going to other locations. They had a consumption lounge inside the location playing loud music. A lot of community complaints were brought to our attention. Again, community partnership is extremely important to our ability to be able to do this enforcement. To say anything else, mayor, like you said, we're hearing their complaints and we're going to take action.

Mayor Adams: It was fascinating to see that when we looked at 311 calls at that location from last night, we had over 70-something complaints of fights, loud music, gunshots, all of these different complaints coming from that community, from that particular location.

Sheriff Miranda: Absolutely, the community's paying attention. It is that quality of life that's impacting all the different… It's in everybody's community. That's why this enforcement that you were able to get is extremely effective. It has a much greater response. Again, the community's hearing it. When you're listening out there, please make sure we hear your complaints, we are acting on the information you're giving us, so we are thankful and we are appreciative of your partnership.

Mayor Adams: Tell me more about the Sheriff's Office, because you're more than cannabis, there's so much going on over there. You have redefined that office in a real way. What else is happening in the Sheriff's Office?

Sheriff Miranda: We are the primary civil enforcement agency for the entire city. Any court orders come out, come to the Sheriff's Office for enforcement, we are the enforcers. We do orders of protection, we do the emergency search warrants, the [ERPLs and the TURPLs] for weapons around domestic violence cases. We do the electronic monitoring program, alternatives to incarceration, which we currently are monitoring in the Sheriff's Office. We are also part of the paper plate enforcement, the ghost plate vehicle enforcement, we do that on a regular basis. We do the checkpoints with the various agencies. We have partnership across different city agencies and the police precincts doing enforcement in all five counties.

Mayor Adams: People didn't realize previously what a powerful role the Sheriff's Department plays. I learned last night when I was speaking with you that you do the electronic monitoring. This is preventing people from having to be on Rikers Island for small petty offenses. They can actually be out and can be monitored at home with their family members instead of having to be incarcerated or sitting behind bars somewhere. That and the amount of order protections and other initiatives that you do really shows how important you are to the City of New York.

Sheriff Miranda: We play a critical role in a lot of different areas. The electronic monitoring program is a very effective program. In fact, many of the people on the program have better relationships with the deputies who are monitoring them than they have with other agencies. They communicate with us when they're struggling. We connect them with other city services when we can to make sure that we support them. If there's an opportunity for them to not have to be incarcerated and there's a way to fix the problem, we're also very interactive with them.

Mayor Adams: I like what you said about having other city agencies when you identify a problem. That has been really the core function of this administration that we need to break down the walls between agencies. Because the person who's dealing with a home housing issue is also going to be dealing with a health care issue. They're going to be dealing with food insecurity.

Our goal is having a one-stop shop. If we approach you and we know you have a myriad of other problems, we don't want to walk away. We don't want to act like let me resolve your housing issue and not try to find out how I could tell your child about some of youth employment or how I could tell a family member about our health care services or if you're in foster care, how we have invested into foster care children. We need to make sure that when we make that contact, identify all the problems that people are having and give them the support that they deserve. I think the Sheriff's Department really touches on that well.

Sheriff Miranda: Mayor, we heard your message and our deputies and our staff at the Sheriff's Office understand the mission that we're on right now. Connecting those services are critical. We know that we meet families in critical times when they're going through a lot. Sometimes they don't realize that there's other services available. It's not limited to our office. Our office represents the entire city. Therefore, we connect with everybody that's around us and making sure they get the support they need.

Mayor Adams: If someone becomes aware of illegal cannabis being sold on their block or on their school, how do they contact the Sheriff's Office to give them a tip?

Sheriff Miranda: They can call us at (718) 707-2100. Again, (718) 707-2100. You can call in your complaints. You can also send complaints online anonymously, [email protected]. We get it there. You can call 311 and we get it from 311. You can call local precincts. Continue to contact your elected officials because they communicate with us on a regular basis and share those details as well.

Mayor Adams: Okay, that's our music. All we can say, sheriff, you're the joint, man.

Sheriff Miranda: Thank you, mayor.

Byrd: The program is Hear from the Mayor. Of course, as always, the mayor wants to hear from you. (212) 545-1075 is the number to call. (212) 545-1075. We'll come back in just a moment with you and your calls on Hear from the Mayor right here from 107.5 WBLS.

[Commercial break.]

Byrd: The program is Hear from the Mayor. The mayor, Eric Adams, wants to hear from you. (212) 545-1075. (212) 545-1075. Now, here's the mayor.

Mayor Adams: Yes, Gary, the listeners are really excited about hearing from you on this beautiful Sunday morning. Why don't we go to the first caller?

Byrd: Good morning, caller. Identify yourself. You're on the air. Your name and where you're calling us from.

Mayor Adams: Yes, how are you? Good morning.

Question: Good morning, Mr. Mayor. How are you? I have one issue and one complaint. I've heard on the radio that the new bins, garbage bins, are coming out in November. I would just like to let you know that I have purchased two of these bins on two separate occasions. Put it outside for the garbage to be picked up. The homeowners, the [inaudible] around here, take the garbage out of the containers and walk away with the garbage containers. I'm on a fixed income and I cannot afford to be buying these bins back in store. They're expensive.

Mayor Adams: No, and I understand completely. Ask your other concern, your question, so I don't want to lose you before I respond to you. I'll respond to you though, okay? There was another one?

Question: Yes. The other issue is, what can be done about these illegal auto body shops on the road? This is like, this has been going on in this neighborhood for over maybe three years. Letters were written, [inaudible] were called, complaints were made to Sanitation. Absolutely nothing has been done. The phone sign, the community meeting, nothing has been done. This guy is bigger and better. We can't even open the windows around here. The fumes from the spray, it's killing us.

Mayor Adams: Quality of life is everything. Which street is that?

Question: If you go to Belmont and something, I don't know. [Inaudible].

Mayor Adams: Belmont and [inaudible]. I'm going to have the commander meet me over there and we're going to take a look at it. We're going to get that issue resolved for you.

Now with the bins, I had the same problem when I bought one of those bins. I find them to be great because it allows your trash to be inside and we want to go after these rats that have really taken over our city. I have a small little chain that I lock it to my gate and I have not had another one stolen since then. If we catch someone stealing, we're going to hold them accountable. That's what I had to do when I first purchased one of these bins about five years ago.

Question: Which chain down? Did you have to release it from the chain to put it on the curb? Because comes November, you cannot put the trash bags anymore. When we unlock it from the chain and put it on the curb, they still walk away with it. The gate and not the chain, if they can, if you're not around and take the bins.

Mayor Adams:If we find someone doing that, of course, we're going to hold them accountable. I'm really sorry that's happening to you because you're right on a fixed income. You don't want to continue to have to purchase them. The goal is to really deal with the unsightliness of plastic bags on our streets. I'm sure you will agree. We don't want to be feeding these rats. We're going to have 70 percent of almost 13 billion tons of garbage removed off our streets. This is something that we wanted to do for a long time.

We're going to go after those who are still in these bins. The goal is no one should be buying them illegally. We're lowering the cost so they're not the normal retail cost of having these bins because we don't want to be hard on New Yorkers. We're looking at other incentives for our seniors as well. This is an important initiative for the cleanliness of our city.

Byrd: Another caller in the air. First name and where you're calling us from on WBLS. Good morning.

Question: Good morning. My name is Sean [inaudible]. I'm calling out of Brooklyn. Good morning.

Mayor Adams: Hey, Sean. How are you?

Question: Good morning. My question for you is about the housing crisis in the city. I had the chance to meet you briefly. wasn't the time to talk about housing. I voted for you. It was the first time that I was really able to vote. I served a 30 year sentence for a wrongful conviction. I was released in 2019. Since then, I hit the ground running. I work for a nonprofit organization. I go inside Rikers Island. I do public speaking. I help other men and women that's involved in gang activity to change their life through my stories.

I tried, I've been on NYCHA, I've been on Housing Connect three, four or five years since I've been home. I watch people that immigrate, I watch people that's not even trying to work that's using the system and they're able to get housing faster than me. This is something that I see with a lot of people that's in my situation that makes a certain level of income. I make less than $60,000 a year. As we all know, housing is expensive in New York. They have different opportunities for us but it just seems like it's disproportionate and it's unbalanced on how they pick and choose who can get this affordable housing.

Mayor Adams: Let me answer to you, brother. Let's peel that back for a moment. A couple of layers. First of all, I recall the conversation that you and I had. I was really impressed when I walked away from you, how you are going back to give back on what you're doing on Rikers, et cetera. I've been on Rikers Island more than any mayor in the history of this city, speaking with inmates and correction officers. I was re-baptized with inmates on Rikers Island. I know that we have to go back and help those that may have hit a bend in the road. It's not the end of the road.

One, migrants and asylums are not allowed to get the housing. They do not qualify for the housing you're talking about. There's a belief out there that migrants and asylum seekers are getting everything. That's not the truth. They're not getting anything more than everyday New Yorkers. They're not eligible for a host of other things than everyday New Yorkers are getting. Number two, we got a 1.4 percent vacancy rate. 1.4 percent. Every time we put out one unit that's open or a building that's open, we get 60,000, 70,000 people trying to get maybe 100, 150 units inside there.

We got to build more housing. That's why we have this initiative called City of Yes. We need to have it approved through the City Council. If we don't build more housing with a 1.4 percent vacancy rate, a whole lot of folks are going to be in the same situation that you are in. We have to build more housing. That is something that I've been saying over and over again. Use your advocacy to tell the City Councilmembers, let's get this City of Yes done so we can build more housing for folks like you.

That sounds like music that's telling me I got to bounce. Good speaking with all of you. If not only in the video, see me on the street. Stop, talk, let's engage because I like hearing from you. You can also go to nyc.gov/hearfromeric. You can also text me with Eric to talk with me on WhatsApp and listen to me on my Get Stuff Done Podcast. Thank you, Gary.

Byrd: Thanks, my brother. Thank you as well. Mayor Eric Adams, of course, has heard once a month right here at 107.5 WBLS. Our normal schedule is the second Sunday of every month. Be here for sure because it's not only Hear from the Mayor, the mayor wants to hear from you.

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