Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live on PIX 11's 'PIX 11 News at 5 PM'

November 13, 2024

Kendis Gibson: Alright, as we take a look at those fire pictures, let's bring inthe mayor actually, I want to tee off on that. Mayor, as you can see those fires, that fire situation, we have had more fires so far in the last couple of weeks than we usually have in the entire month of October. What is going on and what's being done about it?

Mayor Eric Adams: Theterminology brush fires, are [used] so frequently, but the lack of rain, the wind, these are ideal conditions that can create this hazard and it's a real issue. It's not something that we should take lightly and we're using the combination of FDNY and their drones in FDNY to assist in identifying the fires, [put] these fires out, in a combination of water and actually smothering the fires. But it's a real concern and that's why we're saying please do not barbecue in our park areas or wooded areas.

Arrianee LeBeau: And mayor let's go ahead and talk about the drone program just announced today can you give us an idea of what this will look like and when and where will we start to first see these drones deployed?

Mayor Adams: Severalprecincts including the Central Park precinct when you look at the large number of acreage that we have to cover in Central Park and the 75th precinct, which is a real large precinct boundaries, and we're using we identify those precincts that the FAA is giving us approval to use.

We have several more we're going to do, but this is an automatic deployment. The actual housing units will sit on top of precincts. When a job comes over, a call for service, or even just routine patrol, they will be able to deploy, monitor from One Police Plaza. This is really an exciting new step in patrol and using drones for public safety.

Gibson: And how will the city decide, actually, whether to expand that particular program?

Mayor Adams: We're going to look at a combination of things. Areas where you're dealing with a high level of violence. Some precincts, believe it or not, are larger than others. The ability to be deployed to those locations in a rapid way.
And the best part of this program is it takes the surprise out of officers responding to two jobs. Oftentimes, officer would get there. He's going to have to guess where the suspect may have fled to. What is the circumstances on the ground?

They're going to be able to look from their cars as they're responding either on his smartphone or on an iPad and be able to know what is happening on that scene prior to getting there. This is a huge step as a person who was a former police officer, nothing is worse than walking into a scene where you don't know what you're about to face.

LeBeau: All right, mayor. We want to switch gears a bit. Governor Hochul announcing the relaunch of congestion prices. Now, sources are saying this will be at the end of the year, around December 29th, to be exact, going from what would have been $15 to now $9 for people entering lower Manhattan below 60th. What are your thoughts on this plan?

Mayor Adams: I spoke with her earlier, and this is what leadership looks like. She heard the residents who stated the $15 was far too much, but she also knew that we have a real capital problem, you know, the billions of dollars that we have to fix our system and make sure our system continues to operate accordingly is the lifeblood of our city.

It is the safest and 14 years hard to believe, but you take out the COVID numbers. She was there with us when we had to do the subway safety plan. She's been here with us when we deal with the mental health issues on the system. And this is how we can actually pay for the capital problems that we have. And so I stand with the governor in this and she's showing the leadership that's needed.

LeBeau: All right, mayor, well, we know that yesterday you made it clear that you do not support President-elect Trump's plan for mass deportation. But you also said you want to work with officials from the incoming administration to fix our country's immigration system. What would that mean as far as the city is concerned, because I guess there's some constraints with us being a sanctuary city.

Mayor Adams: Yes. And listen, I don't support mass deportation, but I also don't support mass saturation. 220,000 people were dropped into the city, billions of dollars in taxpayers' money, almost only 200 and something million dollars coming from Washington, D.C., 10 trips to Washington, DC to talk about securing our borders, having a decompression strategy. It fell on deaf ears. And this is not sustainable.

We're seeing what's happening in Chicago, other cities, Los Angeles, Denver, New York. This is just wrong. And I said it over and over again. And so I want to sit down with the administration. I think there are things we can do to secure our borders, have a decompression strategy.

And although we are a sanctuary city, I do not support repeated offenders who are creating violence in our city, staying here after they served their time. That should not happen. And it's unacceptable to other immigrants and migrants, and it's unacceptable to New Yorkers.

Gibson: Mr. Mayor, speaking of the incoming administration there in Washington, it was just announced within the last hour and a half or so that the Florida congressman, Matt Gaetz, is the nominee from the president for attorney general. Do you think that's a good call? You support Matt Gaetz as attorney general?

Mayor Adams: I'm a big believer that those who are in the executive branch will staff up with their teams. And you know, it's not up to me to analyze a decision that any executive, if it's Biden, if it's Trump, if it's a governor or a mayor, you need to staff up with your team.

I staffed up with my team and we saw this city from January 1st, 2022 do a complete reverse from employment to safety to education. You got to pick the right people that understand your vision and are willing to move with that vision. And he's choosing those who believe, understand his vision.

I think it was one of the people I think it was important to bring on board, some people may argue, is Elon Musk. We're dealing with an antiquated government filled with bureaucracy, unwilling to make any changes. Something as simple as instituting drones. We have to move away from the rotary dial age and move into the smartphone age. Government has to change. It's not serving people correctly.

LeBeau: All right, mayor. Before we let you go, we want to ask you about today's veto-proof vote to the City Council to shift the broker fees from the renters to the landlords. Now, you say this will have unintended consequences. What do you mean by that?

Mayor Adams: Well, listen, I think it was in good faith what they wanted to accomplish, but nothing in the bill that states if your broker fee was $800, nothing is stopping a landlord for making that [broker] into the rent payment.

So instead of having a one-time $800 fee, if the landlord add $80 on the bill per month, Within a year, you're going to pay more than the $800. And within five years or 10 years, you're going to be continually paying for that same fee. So it was a good intention, but your intention must understand what are the unintended consequences.

And I think that all you're going to see is this fee passed on to the cost of the rent. And now tenants are going to be paying a longer amount of money for that broker fee. We should have thought this through better, but the City Council is the other arm of government, and they made the decision, and that's a decision we have to live with.

Gibson: Yeah, more than 40 City Council members disagree with you on this. Mr. Mayor, thank you for your time.

Mayor Adams: Appreciate it. Thank you.

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