Mayor Eric Adams & Crime: Failing New York City

After Bill de Blasio’s disastrous two terms as mayor, the general consensus was that things in New York City could not get much worse. De Blasio had inherited a thriving city that was experiencing two decades of historically low crime. Yet the openly communist-inclined mayor proceeded to destroy the Big Apple, reversing the decades-long work of successful mayors such as Rudolph Giuliani, who dramatically reduced crime and restored prosperity. The New York Post endorsed Eric Adams, a former captain in the NYPD, to be de Blasio’s successor primarily because they believed he would make the crime wave ravaging New York City “his top priority.” Adams indeed ran on the issue of reducing crime. That is the mandate he was given by the voters on Election Day. In office, however, Adams has acted more like a progressive liberal than the blue-dog Democrat that New Yorkers were expecting.

As soon as Adams got the keys to Gracie Mansion, he implemented progressive policies. He extended Covid restrictions put in place by his predecessor — one that mandated vaccines for private-sector employees and another that extended proof-of-vaccination requirements for multiple indoor settings including gyms, restaurants, and music venues. Instead of putting all his energy toward addressing skyrocketing crime, Adams was focused on masking kids under the age of five — which he kept up until June 13. In January, the mayor permitted legislation to become law that allowed 800,000 illegal aliens and “Dreamers” to vote in municipal elections (this law was just struck down by the New York Supreme Court). Adams has said he does not believe there should be any restrictions on abortion. In response to a reporter’s question as to whether abortion should be banned on the day of birth, Adams responded, “No I do not. I think women should have the right to choose their bodies.” These are radical views, no doubt shared by many of his fellow New Yorkers. Nonetheless, Adams was seen as the moderate option in the Democratic primaries, an indication of how far left the Democratic Party has moved and how progressive the city’s inhabitants are.

JW

About the Author

Jack Wolfsohn

Jack Wolfsohn, formerly an intern at National Review, is a candidate for a Master’s in Strategy, Cybersecurity, and Intelligence at Johns Hopkins University SAIS. Following graduation, he hopes to join the intelligence community, the State Department, or the Department of Defense.

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After Bill de Blasio’s disastrous two terms as mayor, the general consensus was that things in New York City could not get much worse. De Blasio had inherited a thriving city that was experiencing two decades of historically low crime. Yet the openly communist-inclined mayor proceeded to destroy the Big Apple, reversing the decades-long work of successful mayors such as Rudolph Giuliani, who dramatically reduced crime and restored prosperity. The New York Post endorsed Eric Adams, a former captain in the NYPD, to be de Blasio’s successor primarily because they believed he would make the crime wave ravaging New York City “his top priority.” Adams indeed ran on the issue of reducing crime. That is the mandate he was given by the voters on Election Day. In office, however, Adams has acted more like a progressive liberal than the blue-dog Democrat that New Yorkers were expecting.

As soon as Adams got the keys to Gracie Mansion, he implemented progressive policies. He extended Covid restrictions put in place by his predecessor — one that mandated vaccines for private-sector employees and another that extended proof-of-vaccination requirements for multiple indoor settings including gyms, restaurants, and music venues. Instead of putting all his energy toward addressing skyrocketing crime, Adams was focused on masking kids under the age of five — which he kept up until June 13. In January, the mayor permitted legislation to become law that allowed 800,000 illegal aliens and “Dreamers” to vote in municipal elections (this law was just struck down by the New York Supreme Court). Adams has said he does not believe there should be any restrictions on abortion. In response to a reporter’s question as to whether abortion should be banned on the day of birth, Adams responded, “No I do not. I think women should have the right to choose their bodies.” These are radical views, no doubt shared by many of his fellow New Yorkers. Nonetheless, Adams was seen as the moderate option in the Democratic primaries, an indication of how far left the Democratic Party has moved and how progressive the city’s inhabitants are.

JW

About the Author

Jack Wolfsohn

Jack Wolfsohn, formerly an intern at National Review, is a candidate for a Master’s in Strategy, Cybersecurity, and Intelligence at Johns Hopkins University SAIS. Following graduation, he hopes to join the intelligence community, the State Department, or the Department of Defense.