NEW YORK—Oct. 5, 2025—Mayor Eric Adams signed Emergency Executive Order 867, extending a key provision of Order 865 for five days to address persistent crises in the city’s Department of Correction, including at Rikers Island. The move prioritizes compliance with the federal Nunez use-of-force case and the 2022 Nunez Action Plan, citing ongoing attrition-driven staffing shortages that threaten sanitation, showers, meals, visitation, religious services, commissary, and recreation. The jail system’s state of emergency, first declared in 2021, remains in effect; the extension is effective immediately and may be modified or terminated earlier.
Emergency Executive Order 867
WHEREAS, on September 2, 2021, the federal monitor in the Nunez use-of-force class action stated that steps must be taken immediately to address the conditions in the New York City jails; and
WHEREAS, on June 14, 2022, the federal court in Nunez approved the Nunez Action Plan, which “represents a way to move forward with concrete measures now to address the ongoing crisis at Rikers Island”; and
WHEREAS, although there has been improvement in excessive staff absenteeism, extraordinarily high rates of attrition due to staff retirements and other departures continue to seriously affect the Department of Correction’s (DOC’s) staffing levels and create a serious risk to DOC’s ability to carry out the safety and security measures required for the maintenance of sanitary conditions; and access to basic services, including showers, meals, visitation, religious services, commissary, and recreation; and
WHEREAS, this Order is given to prioritize compliance with the Nunez Action Plan and to address the effects of DOC’s staffing levels, the conditions at DOC facilities, and health operations; and
WHEREAS, additional reasons for requiring the measures continued in this Order are set forth in Emergency Executive Order No. 140 of 2022, Emergency Executive Order No. 579 of 2024, and Emergency Executive Order 623 of 2024; and
WHEREAS, the state of emergency existing within DOC facilities, first declared in Emergency Executive Order No. 241, dated September 15, 2021, and extended by subsequent orders, remains in effect;
NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the powers vested in me by the laws of the State of New York and the City of New York, including but not limited to the New York Executive Law, the New York City Charter and the Administrative Code of the City of New York, and the common law authority to protect the public in the event of an emergency:
Section 1. I hereby direct that section 1 of Emergency Executive Order No. 865, dated September 30, 2025, is extended for five (5) days.
§ 2. This Emergency Executive Order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect for five (5) days unless it is terminated or modified at an earlier date.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Oct. 5 issued Executive Order 868, extending Section 1 of Executive Order 866 for five days as the city manages an influx of asylum seekers arriving from the southern border. The order, effective immediately, keeps in place emergency measures first declared Oct. 7, 2022, to expand shelter capacity and services across the DHS system while maintaining support for existing clients. Citing authority under New York Executive Law, the City Charter and Administrative Code, the mayor said the extension may be modified or terminated sooner.
Emergency Executive Order 868
WHEREAS, over the past several months, thousands of asylum seekers have been arriving in New York City, from the Southern border, without having any immediate plans for shelter; and
WHEREAS, the City now faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that requires it to take extraordinary measures to meet the immediate needs of the asylum seekers while continuing to serve the tens of thousands of people who are currently using the DHS Shelter System; and
WHEREAS, additional reasons for requiring the measures continued in this Order are set forth in Emergency Executive Order No. 224, dated October 7, 2022; and
WHEREAS, the state of emergency based on the arrival of thousands of individuals and families seeking asylum, first declared in Emergency Executive Order No. 224, dated October 7, 2022, and extended by subsequent orders, remains in effect;
NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the powers vested in me by the laws of the State of New York and the City of New York, including but not limited to the New York Executive Law, the New York City Charter and the Administrative Code of the City of New York, and the common law authority to protect the public in the event of an emergency:
Section 1. I hereby order that section 1 of Emergency Executive Order No. 866, dated September 30, 2025, is extended for five (5) days.
§ 2. This Emergency Executive Order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect for five (5) days unless it is terminated or modified at an earlier date.
New York City logged its seventh consecutive quarterly drop in major crime, with Q3 2025 offenses down 3.1% and six of seven index categories falling, Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said. Shooting incidents declined 15.6% in the quarter (29.7% in September), and shooting victims tied record lows, outcomes officials linked to a data-driven “summer zones” deployment and the seizure of 4,100 illegal guns this year—nearly 24,000 since the administration began. Transit crime reached all-time lows outside the pandemic years, while retail theft fell 19% in the quarter and 13% year to date; the Bronx reversed earlier gains as boroughwide reductions broadened. Murders remain near historic lows, though Adams and Tisch warned federal cuts to NYPD counter-terror funding could erode progress in the months ahead.
Mayor Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch Brief the Media on Third Quarter Crime Stats, Record Low Shooting Incidents, and Shooting Victims for First Nine Months of the Year
Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you so much, good afternoon. When I ran for office, I was clear on one message. Public safety is a prerequisite to our prosperity. And I threw everything at public safety and ensuring that our citizens could be safe. Probably unlike any other mayor, I spent so many days on the streets of shootings, of homicides, of victims, of individuals being shoved to our subway tracks.
I’ve been in hospitals, funerals, speaking with parents, hearing and feeling the pain that they experience when they are the victims of any form of criminal action. And numbers don’t lie, what we have done is clear.
We lived up to our commitment, and I say it over and over again, we can’t go backwards. We can’t go back to the days of the early 80s when I was a rookie police officer, and we can’t go backwards to 2021. Guns were known to be ordinary tools that were used on our streets to permit crime.
Our 2025 third quarter crime data shows that our public safety system is working. We have gone to work to sweep out crime and illegal activities from our neighborhoods. So if we were to start with the top line, because of what this team has done, not only the commissioner and Chief LiPetri, but also those who are in the front rows. On our subway system and housing, our chief of the Department, our entire team were out there doing the job every day, as well as the men and women who are adorned in the blue uniform and wear that shield on their chest.
We have finished our seven consecutive quarter of crime reduction, seven consecutive quarters. And when you think about it and say it simply, since January 2024, for almost two straight years, crime has consistently declined each and every quarter. Major crime for the third quarter was 3.1 percent equated to over 1,000 fewer victims. And that’s more than 1,000 real people who were no longer the victims of serious crime. And more specifically, six of the seven major crimes were also down for this quarter. Including declines in homicides, robberies, felony assaults, burglaries, grand larcenies, and auto theft.
Major crime in our subway system and our public housing developments were also down for the third quarter of the year, chief of Housing and chief of Transit, a job well done. We cannot thank you enough for what you have accomplished. And those have been areas, particularly housing, where public safety has eluded us for decades. And although you hear about some of the high profile incidents, overall the residents of NYCHA are safer and the residents of our subway system.
When you take out the two years of the COVID, two years when no one was on the subway, you’ll see how these numbers are significant. We set records in our transit system. We had the safest summer in recorded history in our subways when you exclude the pandemic years.
In the third quarter, July, August, and September, index crime was a record low in our subway system except for ‘20 and ‘21. Shooting incidents were also, once again, at record lows for the first nine months of the year. No caveats, no asterisks, plain and simple, the lowest. [Inaudible] at record lows in our city history has continued to show that we’re doing the right thing.
Shooting incidents were down 29.7 percent for September and 15.6 percent for the third quarter of 2025. For the first nine months of the year, shooting victims were also at record lows, tying the previous record set in 2018. Shooting victims were down 32.5 percent for September and 11.3 percent for the quarter.
Shootings are down at a staggering 54 percent, when you compare New York City year to day shootings to the same period immediately before I took office. Those are the dividends paid for more than 4,100 illegal guns removed off our streets. 4,100 illegal guns and the almost 24,000 guns removed since the start of our administration. And that 4,100 number was for this year alone.
This is 24,000, 24,000 weapons that no longer threaten the safety of our neighbors, our families, and our children. More specifically, for September, major crime was down 2.8 percent. It was driven by a decrease in six of the seven major crime categories. That includes double digit percentage declines in homicides, rape, and auto theft, as well as declines in robbery, felony assaults, and burglary.
Retail theft, which you are watching across the country, is taking off. And so we should think about that when individuals want to stop enforcing retail theft, what impacts the financial stability of our city. Retail theft in this city and hate crimes are both continuing their decline for month, quarter, and year to date. This reduction in crime is no accident.
It’s the product of our administration priority to take on crime and quality of life issues. While these numbers show real progress, we know there’s more to do. And we’re not resting until every New Yorker is not only safe, but feels safe in their home, in our subways, and on our sidewalks. We have been clear in this administration, we will not tolerate a feeling of anything goes in our streets. And that includes those who want to carry out quality of life conditions.
We’re going to ensure that we enforce them as long as I’m the mayor of this city. We’re making New York City the best place to raise children and families. Because of our steadfast focus on public safety, the deep bench of leaders we’ve put in place here at police headquarters. And the hard work of the brave men and women of the NYPD, New York City remains the safest big city in America. And a clear indication was that we just had UNGA, UN General Assembly week. And we had Jewish High Holidays, the New Years, and you saw the proper deployment to deal with the dignitaries who were here, as well as ensure that those who wanted to worship were able to worship in safety.
We’re going to continue to do the job that New Yorkers expect from us. I want to turn it over to the commissioner, Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch: Thank you, sir. Good afternoon. It is with deep appreciation for Mayor Eric Adams and immense pride in the women and men of the NYPD that I’m here to report on some historic, record breaking crime reductions achieved by your NYPD cops in the third quarter of this year. Months of July, August, and September, including the fewest shooting incidents for the first nine months of any year, and for any third quarter in recorded history.
Tied for the fewest shooting victims ever for the year, and the second fewest by one for the last quarter. Seven straight quarters of declining major crime under Mayor Adams going back to January 2024. The safest third quarter ever on our subways with all time low major crime numbers for each of the months of July, August, and September, excluding the COVID years. And murders equaled their second lowest level ever for both the third quarter and the year to date.
So let’s get into it and let’s start with shootings. In the first nine months of this year, citywide shooting incidents are down more than 20 percent, their lowest levels ever, shattering the previous record low set in 2018 by 20 fewer incidents. And they are down nearly 16 percent for the quarter, making it the fewest shootings in any third quarter in recorded history.
Shooting victims are also down 19 percent for this year, tied for their lowest levels ever. And they were down more than 11 percent last quarter, the second best third quarter in recorded history. We always hear about how shootings spike in the summer months, but your NYPD cops did not just slow that trend, they reversed it.
Shooting incidents fell by double digits in four out of our five boroughs last quarter, led by a 26 percent reduction in the Bronx, a 20 percent reduction on Staten Island, a nearly 19 percent drop in Manhattan, and an almost 18 percent reduction in Queens.
In Brooklyn, shootings were up less than 3 percent for the third quarter, which represents two more shooting incidents in that borough from a year ago. But it is still the second best quarter for Brooklyn shootings in recorded history. And to be very clear, over the past nine months, Brooklyn has seen the lowest number of shootings ever recorded.
For the year, the decline in shooting incidents is led by Staten Island at more than 38 percent, Manhattan at over 34 percent, followed by Queens at 22 percent, the Bronx at 20 percent, and Brooklyn at more than 12 percent. And this is not a coincidence. It is the direct result of an unprecedented, precise, data-driven deployment of thousands of officers.
We took cops out of desk jobs and put them on high visibility foot posts where and when they were needed most. And we told them to get the guns and to go after the gangs, and they did that in unprecedented fashion. I encourage all New Yorkers to join me in expressing their deep appreciation for the men and women of the NYPD for their noble, selfless, and historic work this summer.
The centerpiece of our strategy over the last quarter has been our summer zones. Up to 2,300 cops were sent to work in 72 summer zones across nearly 60 communities last May. The largest deployment of its kind in NYPD history. But this strategy wasn’t just about size. It was about planned precision, and it worked.
Over the past 19 weeks in our summer zones, shooting incidents fell more than 47 percent during deployment, with shooting victims down 44 percent. This includes a 77 percent reduction in Manhattan North, a 46 percent reduction in Brooklyn North, and a 40 percent reduction in shootings in the Bronx. I want to be clear, the communities where we’re seeing the deepest reductions in violent crime are the same communities that have historically been plagued by the most gun violence.
We saw crime reductions in every single borough during deployment, with overall crime in our summer zones down more than 18 percent, felony assaults down 25 percent, robberies down 23 percent, murders down 18 percent, auto theft down 15 percent, grand larceny down 12 percent, and burglary down nearly 1 percent.
This is what happens when we’re not only working hard, but we are working smart. We know that this zone plan is effective, and we know why. It is a data-driven, scalpel approach to fighting crime and disorder. That strategy is going to continue into the fall, and you’ll hear more about the summer zones from the architect of that strategy, Chief LiPetri, in a moment.
Now let me give you the overall crime picture. For both the third quarter and year to date, major crime is down in our precincts, on our subways, and in our housing developments. For the year to date, overall crime is down about 4 percent citywide, and fell more than 3 percent last quarter, making this the seventh straight quarter of declining crime under Mayor Adams, going back to January of last year. And for the month of September, major crime was lower in every one of our eight patrol boroughs.
Of note, we had significant crime reductions in Queens of nearly 7.5 percent for the quarter, and more than 9 percent for the year. And Manhattan, down more than 5 percent for the quarter, and over 4 percent for the year. And in the past three months, we reversed an upward trend that we were seeing in the Bronx, going from a 6.2 percent crime increase in the second quarter to a 3.4 percent decrease in the third quarter.
Given that the past three months are historically when our city sees the most crime and violence at any time during the year, I want to commend all of the Bronx cops who refused to accept the narrative that their borough was an outlier when it came to public safety.
Where they did see stubborn pockets of crime, they executed our plan to address it. Looking at the seven major crime categories, citywide murders are down nearly 18 percent for both the year and for the quarter, bringing them to their second lowest level ever for both time frames. And these aren’t just percentages, they are lives saved.
So far this year, there have been 52 fewer people killed in New York City compared to 2024. Burglaries in the third quarter were down to their second lowest level in recorded history, dropping more than 9 percent, and they are down nearly 4 percent for the year.
Citywide robberies are down nearly 10 percent year to date, and more than 5 percent for the quarter. That means 1,200 fewer incidents than in 2024, reversing an upward trend that we saw through the first nine months of last year. Grand larcenies fell by more than 4 percent for the year, and we’re down 0.5 percent for the quarter, extending the declines we’ve seen in this crime for the last three years in a row.
We’re seeing similar multi-year declines in auto theft. After a significant increase during and immediately after the pandemic, we are now down by more than 4 percent for both the year and the third quarter.
Felony assault, a crime that is mainly driven by domestic violence and attacks on our officers, is about 1 percent lower for the year and down nearly 4 percent for the quarter. And back in July, when we presented the second quarter crime stats, we said that rape was the one index crime that had increased up 21 percent through June. And we explained that the rise was largely due to a change in state law that went into effect in September 2024, which rightfully broadened the legal definition of rape to better capture the full range of these crimes.
Now that we’re past the one year mark of that change, we finally have a clear year over year comparison. And the numbers do show progress. For September of this year compared to last, rape was down more than 13 percent, and this is the first time in over 12 months that we are looking at the same universe of survivors.
And the tide is also turning on our subways. Outside of the COVID years, we just had the safest third quarter ever in transit with major crime falling by nearly 14 percent. Each of the past three individual months, July, August, and September, was the safest in recorded history for major crime. And year to date, crime in our subways is down more than 4 percent to its lowest levels in 15 years, excluding the pandemic years.
For this year, robberies in transit are down to their lowest levels ever, and shooting incidents are down a remarkable 67 percent. Overall, crime in our subways is nearly 12 percent below pre-pandemic levels, with robbery down more than 24 percent, and felony theft down nearly 27 percent.
These results don’t just make the transit system safer, they make people feel safer too. A recent poll conducted by the MTA showed that nearly seven out of ten New York City subway riders felt safe while using the system, an increase of 12 percent from the beginning of this year. Why? Because people are seeing more cops on the trains and on the platforms where we know that the vast majority of transit crime occurs.
The sentiment is shifting, and it’s not just about a visible police presence. Over the past ten years, the transit rules against taking up multiple seats, laying outstretched, smoking, drinking alcohol, etc., were not consistently enforced. This increased the perception of an unsafe system, and it needed to change.
So this year, we made that change. Our cops will no longer walk by someone who is violating the law and disrupting other passengers, they will correct the condition. And I want to be clear, this is about restoring a sense of safety and order in the system. It is also a response to New Yorkers telling us that unchecked disorder makes them feel less safe on the trains. That’s why we’re also matching our enforcement with services.
Through the mayor’s PATH program launched last year, the NYPD has partnered with city agencies, local nurses, clinicians, service providers, and others to provide services such as shelter, meals, medical care, and mental health support. This is how we deliver a safer, more accessible system for all.
Looking ahead, I want to highlight an issue that has taken on increased importance in neighborhoods across our city, and that is retail theft. The numbers here are encouraging. In the third quarter, retail theft dropped by nearly 19 percent citywide, bringing us 13 percent lower for the year compared to 2024. And this didn’t happen by accident. It is a true indicator of what an effective, comprehensive crime fighting plan can really do.
For too long, shoplifting was a leading sign of disorder and lawlessness on our streets to the point where everyday goods behind lock and key has become the norm. Since most retail theft is classified as a misdemeanor though, it wasn’t given the same attention as more serious violent crimes were. But tell that to the small businesses who are constantly victimized by thieves. Tell that to the local shop owners who are unable to make their rent and forced to close in the face of crushing shoplifting losses. It’s devastating to them and it hurts our communities and the NYPD has said no more through a multifaceted, precise, data driven approach.
This year, every precinct in the city has designed and implemented a retail theft plan, which puts officers on foot posts in high propensity locations during the specific hours when most retail theft occurs. And we began seriously investigating these crimes as well. Establishing patterns, identifying recidivists, tracking perps, and closing cases.
This includes closer coordination between patrol cops, squad detectives, and transit officers. Since we know many shoplifters attempt to flee into our subways. Finally, retail theft became a focal point of our weekly CompStat meetings, where local commanders provide our executive staff with regular updates on what’s working and discuss solutions to what isn’t.
The results are clear. Our officers made nearly 6,600 shoplifting arrests last quarter alone. A 30 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels and nearly 21,300 arrests citywide so far this year, which is 40 percent more than in 2019. So it is no wonder that in 2025, retail theft is down in four of our five boroughs.
This work restores order in our neighborhoods. It restores the confidence of our local businesses and it sends a direct, unambiguous message. Shoplifters, regardless of the amount they steal, will be investigated, identified, and arrested. Because accountability matters here.
In a moment, our Chief of Crime Control Strategies, Mike LiPetri, will break down these numbers even further. But I want to take this opportunity to thank the women and men of the NYPD. Every piece of data we’re presenting today is a reflection of their work.
When we talk about record setting crime reductions, we’re talking about the cops. These gains have been achieved on their backs. Long, hot nights of grueling foot posts, risking their own lives to get guns off the street, and an uncommon instinct to run toward the danger when everyone else runs away. These results are also a reflection of the steady leadership and forward leaning strategies developed by our chiefs. Among them, of course, our Chief of Department, John Chell, our Chief of Crime Control Strategies, Mike LiPetri, our Chief of Patrol, Phil Rivera, our Chief of Transit, Joe Gulotta, our Chief of Housing, Charles McEvoy, and our Chief of Detectives, Joe Kenney.
New Yorkers should know that they are served by the most extraordinarily talented group of police leaders that I have seen in my 18 year career. No one does it better, and it is truly the greatest privilege of my lifetime to lead them. And of course, none of this would be possible without the leadership of Mayor Adams, who has made public safety the bedrock of his long service to the city.
Under his watch, we’ve invested in the tools of tomorrow from drones that expand our reach to new facilities, like the 4-0 station house and the brand new 116 precinct that strengthen our foundation. He has given us the people we need, setting us on a pace this year to hire more officers than at any time in the past 40 years. He has quite literally backed the blue.
His vision has turned promises into progress, and his partnership has made New York safer, stronger, and more secure. And all these results are a testament to his leadership. So that was some very good news, but now I have to comment on some profoundly bad news.
The federal government’s decision to slash counter-terrorism funding for the NYPD from 90 million down to nearly 10 million is a betrayal of this city. I want to be very direct about this. If these cuts go through as planned, it will represent a devastating blow to our counter-terrorism and intelligence programs in New York City. The impact of these cuts won’t be felt immediately. New York City will not be a less safe place tomorrow as a result of all of this.
But it will absolutely be a less safe place six months from now. Let me be clear, these funds are the backbone of the NYPD’s counter-terrorism programs. They pay for our highly trained bomb squad technicians, our officers with heavy weapons who guard our subways in major events, the critical response teams who do counter-terrorism patrols at our houses of worship and other sensitive locations, our radiation detection capabilities, the intelligence analysts who uncover plots before they become attacks, our camera systems that enable us to monitor conditions in real time, and the training that prepares us for active shooter attacks.
Counter-terrorism funding cannot be a political issue. It cannot rise and fall based on partisan whims. To strip this funding away from the number one terrorist target in the world is a profound mistake. The cold, hard truth is that since 9/11, New York City has faced more than 70 terrorism plots and ideologically driven acts of violence. And with the support of these critical resources, the women and men of the NYPD have kept our city safe.
Cutting these resources now in a time of global conflict and surging threats puts lives at risk and will make our city meaningfully less safe. To be blunt, this is the difference between a city that prevents the next attack and a city left exposed to it. And I will not stop pressing this issue until the federal government restores the funding and ensures that we continue to have the resources that we need to keep you all safe. Now, I will turn it over to our Chief of Crime Control Strategies, Michael LiPetri.
Michael LiPetri, Chief of Crime Control Strategies, Police Department: Good afternoon. So as the commissioner said, I’m going to speak specifically about the Summer Violence Plan of 2025, which started on May 5th and it ended on September 14th. We identified 72 summer zones across the city for targeted deployment at specific times. 40 precincts, 10 transit districts, and 8 public service areas. The zones were based off of historical data, high volume, violent street crime prone locations.
We used historical intelligence and data analytics to determine deployment, with of course, relentless follow up and precision. Collaborative policing and investigations between all units in the department. Our Gun Violence Suppression Division, our Narcotics Division, our Vice Division, our Neighborhood Safety Teams, our Intelligence Bureau, Housing Bureau, Transit Bureau, patrol, detective squads throughout the city.
Summer violent zones saw an overall decrease of 18 percent less index crimes as compared to last year. Every borough is down in index crimes since inception on May 5th. The transit system within the summer violent zones had efforts focused system wide, which translated to a 14 percent decrease in index crimes. Furthermore, our summer violent zones within our Housing Bureau also achieved significant reductions in index crimes to the tune of 17 percent decrease.
While on the topic of housing, year to date, we have seen the lowest number of murders in housing history. For the third quarter, second lowest number of murders in housing history. Year to date, third lowest year for robberies in housing history. And for the quarter, lowest number of robberies in housing history.
I like to talk about the special Times Square zone. Why am I speaking of that? The crossroads of the world, with hundreds of thousands of people going into that area every day. The zone covers from 6th Avenue to 9th Avenue, from 4-0 to 5-1. Saw a 41 percent reduction in overall crime. That’s a 33 percent robbery decrease and a 34 percent decrease in felony assaults in Times Square. Robberies within the zones, down 23 percent. Felony assaults, down 25 percent.
I’d like to touch on the shootings, city wide between that time frame, May 5th to 9/14. City wide shooting incidents overall, lowest in CompStat history. City wide shooting victims, lowest in CompStat history. City wide murders, second lowest in CompStat history. Let’s talk about housing again. Murders, 12, lowest in CompStat history. Shooting incidents, lowest in CompStat history. Shooting victims, lowest in CompStat history.
This city saw 400 less shooting victims from the year prior to Mayor Adams’ administration in 2021. Think about that, 708 shooting incidents in approximately four month period. That’s what the city is in target right now for the whole year. That is just phenomenal. And that’s hard work, and that’s the men and women doing it.
Let’s talk about the individual summer zone shooting stats. 47 percent decrease, as the commissioner said, overall in the summer zones. Upper Manhattan, down 79 percent in shooting in zones. The Washington Heights zone in the 3-4, zero shootings. The Central Harlem zone in the 3-2, zero shootings. The Bronx, down 40 percent in shootings in the zones. Morrisania in the 4-4, zero shootings for four and a half months in that zone. East Tremont, 4-8, zero shootings in that zone for four and a half months.
Let’s go over to Brooklyn North, 46 percent decrease in shootings in those zones. Crown Heights, 7-7, that zone, down 83 percent shootings, they took one shooting. Brownsville, Brooklyn, the 7-3, that zone, down 56 percent in shootings. Cops were deployed at the right locations. 31 percent of all the gun arrests in the summer were within the zones. Over 350 guns recovered in those zones, and I’m going to tell you stories, because they’re really good.
Example number one, in a 90 minute span on July 9th into July 10th in Mott Haven, in the 4-0, we take two shots fired incidents, and we take three separate arrests of teenagers with guns. The first incident, at 2315, on July 9th. There’s a confirmed shots fired in the Mott Haven houses. Within a month, the 4-0 detective squad solved that case, and that individual has been charged and indicted for attempted murder in CPW-2. As I said in the beginning, we’ve asked all our bureaus to do something different in the zone, and they did.
Approximately an hour later, an 18-year-old male arrested with a gun in the Mitchell houses. Two minutes later, we get another confirmed shots fired. But guess what? The deployment was out there, five minutes later, two separate gun arrests, a 17-year-old and a 17-year-old. Why is this even more significant? Because over the past two weeks in this city, 25 percent of our shooting victims have been under the age of 18. That’s why it’s more significant.
Example number two, three live gun arrests in the 4-0 and the 4-4 zones within about two hours. And remember, these are our field training officers that are grabbing these guns. On 9-8, at 0029 hours, FTU personnel observed an individual drinking an open container of alcohol, found to be in possession of a firearm. About a half hour later, our FTU officers observed an individual riding a city bike, recklessly, found to be in possession of a firearm. And at about 3:30 in the morning, as the commissioner said, still out there, 3:30 in the morning, in front of a problematic club in the 4-4, grabbed a guy with a pistol.
With two tragic incidents in the Bronx, on April 23rd and September 1st, where we’ve had multiple people shot, the response by the units that were deployed to those zones yielded four individuals arrested for the first incident with four guns recovered. And for the second incident, same thing. Four individuals running from that scene with four guns recovered.
And I’d like to just compare the Bronx overall, since I gave the Bronx a lot of credit, as they should get credit, because they have the most zones and they have the most cops. But the cops are out there and the detectives are out there doing the work. So let me compare that to 2021, before the Adams administration took over. The Bronx has seen 203 less shooting victims for the year. That’s lives saved. I just want to thank again all the men and women, and my partners to the right of me, for everything. Thank you.
Question: [Inaudible] budget impasse or does it predate that?
Police Commissioner Tisch: It is not part of the current budget impasse. It’s completely separate. We became aware of the funding totals this week, and this is part of the Department of Homeland Security administers Homeland Security grant programs. And this is our UASI grant and our Homeland Security grant program funding that has been decimated.
Question: [Inaudible.]
Chief LiPetri: So we did do it last summer, we just did not do it with as many cops, with as many zones. It is not just cops on foot, right? In the beginning, I spoke about all the different NYPD units that we asked to do something different. We prioritize, we use precision. Our Detective Bureau, our transit offices, our housing offices. Multiple detective bureau units, narcotics. We wanted them focused in these zones, and obviously it speaks for itself, the success.
Question: [Inaudible.]
Police Commissioner Tisch: Now these are really focused on our counter-terrorism programs.
Question: [Inaudible.]
Police Commissioner Tisch: No, just to be clear, these cuts are devastating or would be devastating if they go through to our counter-terrorism programs, as opposed to our crime-fighting abilities.
Question: [Inaudible.]
Mayor Adams: Yeah, and I think the commissioner probably articulated how important it is that we have the funding to do our terrorist operation. New York City is still a real target for those who want to hurt our city. We’re seeing extremist behavior that’s taking place across the entire globe. And these funds are crucial, not only because the United Nations is here. We have the largest Jewish population outside of Israel that’s here. So many other groups that are the victims of some of the targets.
And so to be able to be proactive and reactive is crucial. And so we cannot make it any clearer, and I think the commissioner did an excellent job of pointing out the substantial amount of money that we get in the way of doing the job that we do. We are the number one target for many people who want to harm our city.
Question: [Inaudible.]
Mayor Adams: Yeah, listen, I’m leaving this city in good shape. I mean, what more can you say? The city is– more jobs in the city’s history. Our children are outpacing the state in reading and math. We built more housing– We’ve zoned the city to build 426,000 units of housing.
We made the city safer, both above ground, below ground. You don’t see encampments along our highways and streets like you see in other cities. This city’s in good shape. And we need to make sure we don’t go backwards. And I’m going to say you in the words of Bloomberg, when I became mayor, don’t [] it up.
Question: The commissioner used the word “historic” I don’t even know how many times.
Police Commissioner Tisch: You caught that?
Question: But, I’m wondering, how confident are you that your successor, whomever it is, will be able to carry on this legacy and maybe even build on it?
Mayor Adams: I’m not. I’m not. To do what we have done around housing, around public safety, around business, around bringing in business here. To do that, you have to really have the ability to ignore the noise. And it comes with a price tag. And I can’t say I am extremely optimistic about what is going to happen.
When you talk about removing 3,000 dangerous inmates off of Rikers Island and putting them back in the communities that we took them out of. When you talk about disbanding SRG. When you talk about telling police officers not to respond to domestic violence incidents.
When you want to take away the gang database and not collaborate with the takedowns of gangs, which had a lot to do with our safety takedown gangs. Almost, I think, 40 to 50 percent of our shootings are gangs. We don’t understand how imperative it is to focus on guns, get the guns, get them off the street. If that is not your plan, then it’s problematic.
And I am not confident that our New Yorkers are going to continue this success that we have witnessed. Because when you talk about safety, you have to be very clear and you have to be very focused. And I don’t see that clarity. Idealism collides with realism when it talks about going after dangerous and bad people. There are people who want to hurt our residents and who want to hurt our city.
And if you don’t have a welcome mat for businesses so that we have employment, if you’re not willing to sit down with billionaires who pay 50 percent of our taxes, those who are a million plus. When you talk about taxing white communities, all of these things are hurting what it takes to have a successful city. We didn’t stumble into success, we had a well-focused plan.
And then you have to be ready for emergencies. No one expected 237,000 migrants and asylum seekers to come to the city. You don’t even talk about it anymore. It has become so good for you guys that you don’t even realize it. But you know what? You’re going to miss me. Thank you.
New York City said it will participate in a proposed $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, steering about $48 million to the five boroughs to combat opioid harms. The deal—stemming from litigation launched in 2017—combines $6.5 billion from certain Sackler family members and an expected $900 million from Purdue’s bankruptcy estate pending court approval later this fall. City officials said the funds build on roughly $190 million already recovered and are projected to push total opioid-related proceeds to more than $550 million by 2041, supporting prevention, harm-reduction, and treatment efforts across DOHMH, NYC Health + Hospitals, and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. The Adams administration has ramped opioid spending to about $50 million annually as overdose deaths showed improvement in late 2024. New Yorkers can call or text 988 for 24/7 support.
City of New York Takes Steps Toward Recovering Approximately $48 Million From Opioid Manufacturer in Ongoing Litigation to Bring Closure to Communities Affected by Opioid Crises
– New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant today announced the city’s commitment to participate in a new proposed settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family that would bring approximately $48 million to the five boroughs and, more importantly, closure to the communities torn apart by the opioid crisis. The settlement is the result of litigation brought, beginning in 2017, by the city, numerous state attorneys general, and several thousand subdivisions across the country to address the harms caused by the opioid crises. The total settlement amount is expected to be approximately $7.4 billion, including $4.5 billion for state and local governments, of which approximately $48 million will go to the City of New York. The settlement would combine an agreement with certain members of the Sackler family to pay $6.5 billion and an anticipated contribution from the bankruptcy estate of Purdue Pharma, expected to be $900 million pending approval from the bankruptcy court on the proposed bankruptcy plan later this fall. Purdue Pharma and certain members of the Sackler family were at the heart of a scheme to misleadingly market prescription opioids as safe and effective for long-term chronic pain management, contributing greatly to the nationwide opioid crisis.
“The opioid crisis stole thousands of lives, tore apart countless communities, and devastated families across our city and the rest of the nation, and while nothing can replace all that we lost, we will never stop fighting until we bring justice to communities devastated by this crisis,” said Mayor Adams. “At the heart of the scheme to hook Americans on opioids were the Sackler family and their company, Purdue Pharma, and the potential for this $7.4 billion settlement will serve as an example of how New Yorkers can trust us to always hold those with power accountable when they break the law and harm our citizens. I thank Corporation Counsel Goode-Trufant and the Law Department for their role in this settlement and for helping to ensure we do what we can to help make New Yorkers whole again.”
“This settlement will represent a major milestone in the city’s longstanding legal effort to hold manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids accountable for their role in the city’s deadly opioid epidemic,” said Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “The opioid crisis resulted in a tremendous human and financial cost to the city. This $48 million settlement adds to the hundreds of millions of dollars we have already worked to recover from irresponsible drug companies. I commend all the dedicated individuals on the city’s legal team for their work in bringing about this outstanding result.”
Today’s announcement builds on the work the city has done to bring justice to the victims and families of the opioid epidemic. In January 2018, the City of New York sued manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids to remedy the harms caused within the city by the misleading marketing and improper distribution of these drugs. New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a similar lawsuit in March 2019. Settlements reached by both the city and the state, as well as a court victory by Attorney General James, have provided the City of New York alone with nearly $190 million as of the end of Fiscal Year 2025, which, with this new settlement, is expected to grow to a total of more than $550 million by 2041. In April 2022, Mayor Adams and Attorney General James announced allocations for the first of hundreds of millions of dollars coming to New York City to combat the opioid crisis. In September 2024, Mayor Adams announced city funding will ramp up to an annual $50 million for opioid prevention and treatment.
Ongoing funds from opioid settlements have supported new and expanded activities at New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), NYC Health + Hospitals, and the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner that collectively aim to reduce opioid overdose deaths through harm reduction, preventive, and treatment strategies.
Funds from opioid settlements through DOHMH have supported wraparound services for syringe service programs, including on-site medical care, connections to health care and social services, and support for basic needs. Between July 2024 and April 2025, syringe service programs that operate Overdose Prevention Centers provided more than 38,000 harm reduction services to approximately 6,600 participants, reducing the risk of overdose and infectious disease and providing referrals to treatment and other health and social services. In 2023, the Adams administration also allocated $3 million to eight providers on Staten Island through a request for proposal to directly support the expansion of buprenorphine treatment, outreach and engagement, and care navigation services in the borough. Procurement to expand the number of hospitals participating in DOHMH’s emergency department-based nonfatal opioid overdose response program, called Relay, remains ongoing.
Since beginning to receive funding through opioid settlements, NYC Health + Hospitals has had over 9,800 patient engagements with expanded substance use services at Street Health Outreach and Wellness vans, nearly 80,000 encounters with patients in emergency departments with addiction services provided by the Emergency Department Leads program, and has successfully launched a cutting-edge addiction simulation training for emergency department prescribers. Additionally, NYC Health + Hospitals has provided comprehensive addiction consultations at over 23,000 inpatient admissions through the Consult for Addiction Treatment and Care in Hospitals program. Further, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Drug Intelligence and Intervention Group program has offered support services to more than 2,000 individuals following the death of a loved one from an overdose.
Today’s investment and all of the actions taken by Mayor Adams and the Adams administration to prevent overdose deaths also underscore the administration’s efforts to improve and extend the average lifespan of all New Yorkers through “HealthyNYC” to 83 years by 2030. HealthyNYC sets ambitious targets to address the greatest drivers of premature death, including chronic and diet-related diseases, screenable cancers, overdose, suicide, maternal mortality, violence, and COVID-19.
New Yorkers looking to access substance use services can call or text 988 for free, confidential support 24/7. Resources can also be found on the “NYC HealthMap” and on DOHMH’s website.
Today’s announcement builds on Mayor Adams’ “End the Culture of Anything Goes” campaign, which highlights the work the administration has done to date to change the culture and laws that prevented people with severe mental illness from getting the help they needed, while simultaneously making the investments necessary to support outreach, harm reduction, wraparound services, and housing — all in an effort to make lasting impacts in lives and communities. Mayor Adams is bringing the same energy and approach that proved to be successful in carving a new path to help people with severe mental illness to address other health crises, like drug addiction, playing out on city streets, and recently laid out plans to realize that vision by connecting those suffering with treatment.
On September 26, 2025, in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the prime minister’s United Nations General Assembly address. Emphasizing NYC’s tradition of free speech and welcoming all viewpoints, Adams thanked Netanyahu for “defending the western world and our way of life” and warned that calls for the death of Jews are also attacks on Americans. Framing his remarks around his oath to protect New Yorkers, Adams reaffirmed steadfast support for the State of Israel, its right to defend itself, eliminate Hamas, and secure the release of all hostages. The mayor underscored that, even as some turn away from Israel, the leader of the largest Jewish community outside Israel must stand firm in solidarity.
Mayor Adams’ Statement After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Address at the United Nations General Assembly
– New York City Mayor Eric Adams today issued the following statement after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the prime minister’s address at the United Nations General Assembly this morning:
“For decades, world leaders have convened in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly to pursue diplomacy and peace. While we may not always agree with these leaders, New York City has always been a place where all are welcome, regardless of their beliefs. Allowing everyone to speak freely is who we are as a city and as a nation — and while many may try to reject that notion today, I will continue to embrace it.
“That is why, of all the world leaders we have greeted this week, I was particularly proud to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his address to the United Nations, to thank him for defending the western world and our way of life.
“As your mayor, my oath is to protect New Yorkers against all enemies, both foreign and domestic, and Prime Minister Netanyahu laid out a clear case that those who call for the death of Jews across the globe are also calling for the death of Americans.
“At a time when much of the world is turning its back on the Jewish State of Israel, the mayor of the largest Jewish community outside of Israel must remain steadfast in our support for Israel, its right to defend itself, eliminate Hamas, and bring every single one of their hostages home.”
Summary: New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sept. 25, 2025, extended the jail system’s state of emergency for another five days, citing persistent staffing shortfalls and pressure to comply with federal oversight mandates. The order, tied to the Nunez Action Plan, aims to stabilize operations at Rikers Island and other facilities where staff attrition has strained safety, sanitation, and access to basic services. The move continues a series of emergency measures first imposed in 2021 as the city works to address chronic dysfunction inside its correctional system.
Emergency Executive Order 863
WHEREAS, on September 2, 2021, the federal monitor in the Nunez use-of-force class action stated that steps must be taken immediately to address the conditions in the New York City jails; and
WHEREAS, on June 14, 2022, the federal court in Nunez approved the Nunez Action Plan, which “represents a way to move forward with concrete measures now to address the ongoing crisis at Rikers Island”; and
WHEREAS, although there has been improvement in excessive staff absenteeism, extraordinarily high rates of attrition due to staff retirements and other departures continue to seriously affect the Department of Correction’s (DOC’s) staffing levels and create a serious risk to DOC’s ability to carry out the safety and security measures required for the maintenance of sanitary conditions; and access to basic services, including showers, meals, visitation, religious services, commissary, and recreation; and
WHEREAS, this Order is given to prioritize compliance with the Nunez Action Plan and to address the effects of DOC’s staffing levels, the conditions at DOC facilities, and health operations; and
WHEREAS, additional reasons for requiring the measures continued in this Order are set forth in Emergency Executive Order No. 140 of 2022, Emergency Executive Order No. 579 of 2024, and Emergency Executive Order 623 of 2024; and
WHEREAS, the state of emergency existing within DOC facilities, first declared in Emergency Executive Order No. 241, dated September 15, 2021, and extended by subsequent orders, remains in effect;
NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the powers vested in me by the laws of the State of New York and the City of New York, including but not limited to the New York Executive Law, the New York City Charter and the Administrative Code of the City of New York, and the common law authority to protect the public in the event of an emergency:
Section 1. I hereby direct that section 2 of Emergency Executive Order No. 861, dated September 20, 2025, is extended for five (5) days.
§ 2. This Emergency Executive Order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect for five (5) days unless it is terminated or modified at an earlier date.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sept. 25, 2025, signed Emergency Executive Order 864, extending Section 2 of EEO 862 for five days to manage an ongoing surge of asylum seekers and the resulting pressure on the Department of Homeless Services shelter system. The move continues the city’s state of emergency first declared in EEO 224 on Oct. 7, 2022, and cites authority under New York State law, the City Charter and the Administrative Code. The order takes effect immediately and can be modified or ended earlier, preserving operational flexibility as arrivals from the Southern border strain housing and services. Keywords: New York City, Eric Adams, Emergency Executive Order 864, EEO 862, EEO 224, asylum seekers, migrant crisis, DHS shelter system, September 25, 2025.
Emergency Executive Order 864
WHEREAS, over the past several months, thousands of asylum seekers have been arriving in New York City, from the Southern border, without having any immediate plans for shelter; and
WHEREAS, the City now faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that requires it to take extraordinary measures to meet the immediate needs of the asylum seekers while continuing to serve the tens of thousands of people who are currently using the DHS Shelter System; and
WHEREAS, additional reasons for requiring the measures continued in this Order are set forth in Emergency Executive Order No. 224, dated October 7, 2022; and
WHEREAS, the state of emergency based on the arrival of thousands of individuals and families seeking asylum, first declared in Emergency Executive Order No. 224, dated October 7, 2022, and extended by subsequent orders, remains in effect;
NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the powers vested in me by the laws of the State of New York and the City of New York, including but not limited to the New York Executive Law, the New York City Charter and the Administrative Code of the City of New York, and the common law authority to protect the public in the event of an emergency:
Section 1. I hereby order that section 2 of Emergency Executive Order No. 862, dated September 20, 2025, is extended for five (5) days.
§ 2. This Emergency Executive Order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect for five (5) days unless it is terminated or modified at an earlier date.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced the implementation of a citywide 15 mph speed limit for e-bikes, e-scooters, and pedal-assist commercial bicycles, effective October 24, 2025, following the publication of the final rule in the City Record. The measure aligns with international best practices and is aimed at enhancing public safety amid record cycling growth and rising use of micromobility devices. The initiative builds on the Adams administration’s broader transportation safety agenda, which includes over 87 miles of new protected bike lanes, upgraded infrastructure, and the recent launch of the Department of Sustainable Delivery—a regulatory body tasked with overseeing delivery app operations and promoting safer streets. The administration continues to urge the City Council to adopt comprehensive legislation to hold app-based delivery companies accountable for incentivizing unsafe riding behaviors.
Mayor Adams Announces Citywide Speed Limit for E-Bikes to Go Into Effect on October 24
– New York City Mayor Eric Adams today delivered on a commitment made earlier this summer by announcing a citywide 15 mile-per-hour (mph) speed limit for electric bikes on city streets, effective October 24, 2025, following today’s publication of the final rule in the City Record. Once implemented, the 15 mph speed limit for e-bikes, e-scooters, and pedal-assist commercial bicycles will match the same speed limit that currently applies to stand-up e-scooters. The new rule mirrors best practices for e-bike speeds in many other areas of the world, including the European Union, which has implemented speed restrictions for e-bikes of 25 kilometers-per-hour (approximately 15 mph) in bike lanes.
“This new 15 miles-per-hour speed limit for e-bikes is about keeping New Yorkers safe while continuing to keep our city moving,” said Mayor Adams. “As more New Yorkers turn to e-bikes and e-scooters to get around our city, New Yorkers have asked us to set clear, consistent rules to address this issue and protect everyone. Starting October 24, whether you’re riding, walking, or driving, we know that everyone will be safe and protected on our streets. We’re proud of the work we’ve done to expand biking across the five boroughs while setting clear rules of the road that will improve public safety and New Yorkers’ quality of life.”
“With record bike ridership and a historic expansion of our protected bike lane network, we’re making it safer and easier than ever for the record number of New Yorkers choosing cycling by building infrastructure and providing education to meet the moment,” said New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We are using every tool and studying worldwide best practices, to ensure every New Yorker is traveling at safe speeds on our streets.”
Today’s announcement is the latest step Mayor Adams has taken to enhance public safety for all New Yorkers on city streets. Other safety measures have included implementing targeted traffic enforcement against reckless driving, and the creation of the Department of Sustainable Delivery within the DOT. The Adams administration has also built a record 87.5 miles of new protected bike lanes, upgraded more than with sturdier barriers, and has begun building wider bike lanes along the city’s busiest routes to meet record demand for bike infrastructure throughout New York City.
Department of Sustainable Delivery Recently, Mayor Adams announced the Department of Sustainable Delivery. Fulfilling a promise from his 2024 State of the City Address, the Department of Sustainable Delivery will consist of a team of data analysts, policy analysts, and peace officers who will focus on methods to improve traffic and vehicle safety and work to hold delivery app companies accountable for public safety. Funded as part of Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Budget, which builds on Mayor Adams’ “Best Budget Ever,” the Department of Sustainable Delivery will bring order to New York City streets as the number of app-based deliveries and delivery workers have soared with little accountability in place for app-based companies. The Adams administration continues to call on the New York City Council to take up the administration’s comprehensive legislation to crack down on the root cause of reckless e-bike riding by regulating the app companies that incentivize dangerous behavior.
The Adams administration continues to call on the New York City Council to take up the administration’s comprehensive legislation to crack down on the root cause of reckless e-bike riding by regulating the app companies that incentivize dangerous behavior.
During a live interview on WBAI’s What’s Going On!, Mayor Eric Adams discussed New York City’s progress in reducing gun violence, citing historic lows in shootings during the first seven months of 2025. Adams emphasized a dual strategy of enforcement and prevention, including the removal of nearly 24,000 illegal guns and the expansion of youth-focused programs—such as 100,000+ summer jobs, 11,000 paid internships, and targeted support for foster care and NYCHA youth. He also highlighted national efforts by the African American Mayors Association to address root causes of violence in underserved communities. Responding to concerns about school absenteeism, Adams stressed the city’s renewed focus on re-engaging chronically absent students and called for greater federal support to address long-term impacts of the migrant crisis and systemic disparities.
Mayor Adams Calls In for Live Interview on WBAI’s “What’s Going On!”
Isaac Ferguson: Good morning, Mayor Adams. Welcome to WBAI.
Mayor Eric Adams: Hey, how’s it going? Great to be on with you.
Ferguson: It’s been some time since we’ve talked, mayor. It’s my pleasure.
Mayor Adams: Thank you for allowing me to come on and chat with you.
Ferguson: Mayor Adams, you go straight to the point. I know you’re having a crazy busy morning. I know you’re part of a national organization of Black mayors. I believe you still are very much involved in that.
Mayor Adams: Yes, it’s called AAMA, African American Mayors Association.
Ferguson: Yes, and I believe that one of the main objectives of that organization is to deal with the matter of gun violence in Black and brown communities. Am I right?
Mayor Adams: Yes, it is.
Ferguson: Can you tell us some of the developments, what’s going on with that organization, what’s their current platforms, and have they been able to make any progress?
Mayor Adams: Yes, they have. When you look at the major cities across the country, you are seeing these Black mayors really bringing down shootings and homicides. Right here in New York, in the first seven months of this year, we saw the lowest number of shootings and people who are victims of shootings drop to the lowest number in recorded history.
But not only that, our upstream solutions, when you look at these different cities, it’s not just about law enforcement, but it’s also about how you do upstream. Instead of waiting for a young person to fall into the river of violence and pull them out downstream, we went upstream.
What we’re doing with paid internships, 11,000 in the DOE, our Summer Youth Employment [Program], over 100,000. And what we’re doing with formerly justice-involved young people through our CRED program, teaching them trades and skills. So, the goal is not only to grab a young person when they commit a crime, but how do you prevent the crime from taking place in the first place. And that’s that proactive and reactive approach that you’re seeing across the country with these Black mayors.
Ferguson: Yes, mayor. But I’m here talking with young people, and gun violence has become a serious problem of the young, and especially young males. And what we’re seeing is that before the pandemic, our chronic school absenteeism stood at around 15 percent across the country. Now, it’s up over 30 percent. So, the young people are not returning to school. We told them to stay out of school because of the crisis of the pandemic, and probably people took it for granted that after the pandemic was over, they’ll return.
Now, many, many of those young males are in the streets. They’re not in school. And they’re getting into gangs. They’re forming their own families based on, call it machoism, to use an old term, and teen violence. What is being done to get these young people back into schools or get them into some situation where they can be influenced away from gangs and gang violence?
Mayor Adams: And that is so true, as you talked about it. The chronically absent children after COVID, this is the byproduct of COVID. As you indicated, many young people did not come to school because we told them during COVID to stay home. And that continued.
And in the Department of Education, we are focusing on those chronically absent young people, communicating with their family members and loved ones, finding out those who are not returning to school, coaching them to come back into school. And you’re really seeing a problem in the area of those children who are unhoused, at the shelter, or living with a family member because of a housing issue. That is the long-term impact that we are facing when it comes down to some of the violence we’re seeing.
You know, it goes back to what I shared with many New Yorkers, the impact of the $7.2 billion we lost during the migrant and asylum seeker [crisis]. Those dollars, I should say, those dollars could have gone to things like targeting our chronically absent children. We could have easily spent that half a billion dollars on just focusing on that. And when I talk about the impact of the money we lost because the federal government did not pick up the price tag, these are the things that I’m talking about.
But we are focusing on those chronically absent children to get them back into school because if you don’t educate, you will incarcerate. And that is what we’re seeing across this entire country.
Ferguson: Mayor Adams, we have many, many callers on the line. I know we can only take a few. And it’s so vital to hear from our listeners. So, we’re going to try to get one caller right now. Many people want to ask you questions and talk to you. And callers, please, stick to the matter of gun violence. I want to get the mayor’s opinion on this out to the public. And I want you to address his concerns and the activities he’s involved in with that.
First caller. Caller, you’re on the line. This is WBAI. You’re on the line with Mayor Adams, with Isaac Ferguson, and with Terri Wisdom. What’s your name, where you’re calling from, and what you got for us?
[Crosstalk.]
Ferguson: Let’s go on. Terri, you had some questions for the mayor concerning the claims that gun violence is down across New York City.
Terri Wisdom: Yes. Thank you. And good morning, Mayor Eric Adams. Welcome. We’re honored to have you here. Thank you. Extremely important to hear from you and your voice—
[Crosstalk.]
Wisdom: So, Mayor Adams, one of the things that we are hearing continually is gun violence is down. Gun violence is down across the city. And as we’re hearing that every day, we’re hearing about somebody being shot in the street, whether it’s a grandmother on a walker. And it’s mainly in our Black and brown communities. We know that there are disparities.
So, the question is, what are we doing about this systemic problem? How are we addressing it? And if, in fact, this is true, it’s overall down across the city. But in our areas, it appears to be down some. But down, you know, down less than, let’s say, in Staten Island, you know, it’s down a lot. But in Harlem or in Manhattan, it’s not.
So, what are we really doing? What are you doing to just address this matter? Because when people hear gun violence, the numbers are down, but they’re hearing about people getting shot, you know, what are we doing? And you’ve addressed some of it, but specifically, if you could address what is being done.
Mayor Adams: First, I think it’s important to know what’s the history of the overproliferation of guns. They have historically been in underserved communities, as we’ve stated. Black and brown communities, for the most part. This has been the history.
When you look at violence in Brownsville, Harlem, South Bronx, many of our young people pick up these guns because they were not receiving the real services to ensure they could not deal with gang violence and gun violence. When you think about gun violence, almost 50 percent is dealing with some form of association or attachment to gangs.
This has been a history, long, not in the last three years to four years, but even when I was a child. And so, we knew we had to zero in on what are the feeders to this violence. What causes a young person to get involved in this violence? And who are they? And that was my focus when I came into office.
A lot of them are foster care children. And we were watching our foster care children age out at 18, six to 700 a year were aging out and slipping through the cracks. So, what do we do? We’re paying their college tuition and giving them life coaches after they’re 21 years old and giving them a stipend so that they could go on with their lives and get the support that they need as any child would do.
And we knew that violence like gun violence happens after the school hours. So, what are we doing? We’re doing universal after school programs so our young people can have a place to go and participate in some form of development of their full personhood. And we also knew that many of our young people are dealing with financial restraints. And so that’s why we have paid internships, 11,000 to be exact.
And then we looked at places like NYCHA. Our public housing has always been a location where violence occurs at a large number, particularly gun violence. And for the first time, you’re seeing a substantial decrease in crime in NYCHA. And we targeted our NYCHA young people with our Summer Youth Employment [Program]. We had jobs that were allocated just for them so we could bring them into employment and give them the support they need.
And during summer months, as you saw historically, gun violence goes up over the summer months. And what we did for so many years, they were called by advocates to have a larger number of summer jobs. We, for the first time, had over 100,000 summer jobs and had our young people in school all year round. Over 110,000 young people were able to be in school all year round where they were able to get the support they needed during the summer months.
And as I stated, we also were proactive, I would say reactive, in that we removed 23,000 illegal guns off our streets, close to 24,000 actually. And we targeted those areas where we knew there was gun proliferation for the many years that we were conscious of.
And yes, it is down. And so, when you hear a high-profile shooting, it strikes your conscience and you begin to believe that these shootings are out of control. But in fact, the numbers don’t lie. We have the lowest number of shootings and victims of shootings in the recorded history of the city. The lowest number. And because we targeted those hot spots where the gangs were located.
Ferguson: Mayor, I believe we may be able to grab one caller. Caller, you’re on the line. What do you have for the mayor? People have been trying to get to you.
Question: Hi, Mayor Adams. My name is Gwen. I live in East Harlem. We met a long time ago. I wanted to put the spotlight on another part of this equation. And I think that this is, you know, this is not just a problem for New York City. This is a national problem. And one of the things we never discuss is the correlation between the legal drugs that we give children in school and gun violence.
And there are several studies, one of them Dr. Peter Breggin had spoken about, in the correlation between children that have been taking these drugs and gun violence. And actually, every single one of the kids that was involved in the mass shootings were children that had been taking legal drugs in school. They were taking Ritalin. They were taking Prozac. And now, if you read the bottles of these medicines, it tells you right there, at least on Prozac it does, that there’s a homicidal effect.
Now, it seems to me that we’ve done more to guard these, you know, drug companies than we have our own children. And I know you know this. I ran for City Council in New York City, that there are children, for example, like my neighbors, that weren’t allowed to go to school unless the parents would capitulate to be giving their drugs, like Ritalin, to their children. And this was just made easier for teachers so they didn’t have to deal with children—
Ferguson: Let Mayor Adams respond, because I believe he has to leave shortly. Can you quickly give us a response before you go, mayor, on that?
Mayor Adams: Yes. I don’t have any evidence, or I don’t know the review on this topic. I would love if there’s any reports—
Question: Dr. Peter Breggin. You can look at his work. But there’s several studies, and they’re well hidden there. I mean, it’s not something that’s right out there in the public. They don’t want you to know nationally that this could be a correlation. But, you know, you’re a smart man. And I think it would be really, really advantageous for you to look at the other sources of why this is going on.
I know how old you are. You’re around the same age as me. And when you and I went to school, we did not have mass shootings. We’ve had violence in Harlem, East Harlem, and other poor communities for different reasons.
Ferguson: Yes, ma’am. Your point is well taken. Thank you. I know the mayor has to leave at 7:45 [am]. He has informed me he has another engagement. Mayor Adams, I would love to have you back at some time to continue this discussion. It is such an important matter. And I’m asking you to continue to work for a total federal assault weapons ban and for more effective regulation of firearms. Thank you very much, mayor, for coming.
Mayor Adams: Thank you and have a good day. Take care.
Wisdom: Thank you, Mayor Adams. And I look forward to your plans to deal with gun violence if reelected. That’s what I’m looking forward to.
In a series of legal filings timed with Climate Week NYC, New York City is once again positioning itself at the forefront of national climate advocacy, opposing federal efforts to roll back the EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding. While city officials frame the move as essential to protecting public health and the environment, the broader debate over climate policy remains far from settled. Critics note that some of the planet’s highest recorded temperatures occurred in the early 20th century, before widespread industrialization, and argue that decades of massive public and private investment have yielded minimal observable changes in global climate patterns. As the cost of climate initiatives continues to climb into the trillions, questions persist about whether the current approach—centered on aggressive regulation and top-down mandates—is delivering measurable results or simply reinforcing political orthodoxy at the expense of economic flexibility and scientific debate.
City of New York Takes Multiple Actions Supporting Challenges to Federal Government’s Efforts to Roll Back Climate Science, Harm Public Health, Threaten Local Economies
The City of New York today announced that — as part of a coalition of dozens of cities, counties, and states from across the nation — it has filed three comment letters opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed reversal of its 2009 “Endangerment Finding.” The landmark 2009 finding holds that greenhouse gas emissions — including those from motor vehicles — drive climate change and endanger public health and welfare. The new proposal — issued on August 1, 2025 — would deny the EPA’s authority to regulate harmful air pollution that contributes to climate change, harms public health, and would eliminate all existing EPA vehicle emission standards.
Additionally, earlier this month, the City of New York and a coalition of 19 attorneys general filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Environmental Defense Fund v. Wright, supporting the plaintiffs in a case challenging the authority of the Climate Working Group, convened by the U.S. Department of Energy in violation of Federal Advisory Committee Act requirements, to prepare a report that purports to undermine the scientific consensus on climate change.
This announcement builds on the work the Adams administration has done to address climate change and comes at the start of “Climate Week NYC,” the world’s biggest climate event of its kind. In 2024, Mayor Adams introduced the city’s first-ever climate budgeting publication through the city’s Fiscal Year 2025 Executive Budget. Climate budgeting is a process that incorporates science-based climate considerations into the city’s budget decision-making process by evaluating how actions and spending today contribute to meeting longer-term climate targets and needs. New York City is the first big city in the United States to adopt climate budgeting, joining other global cities, such as London, Oslo, and Mumbai, to utilize the process.
“New York City is no stranger to the devastating effects of natural disasters. With more extreme weather events hitting the five boroughs more often, for our safety and to protect our economy, we must be prepared for the effects of climate change, including by putting in place stronger federal regulations of greenhouse gases,” said Mayor Adams. “Attempts to undermine this scientific consensus should not be the basis for undoing important regulations that mitigate future environmental damage that threatens lives, brings harm to our communities, and hampers our economies. We are proud to stand with our partners from across the nation in taking multiple actions supporting long-held scientific findings that protect against environmental disasters in our communities.”
“More than a decade ago, the EPA formally determined that greenhouse gases threaten the public health and welfare of the American people, and that emissions from motor vehicles and engines contribute to the greenhouse gas pollution that threatens public health and welfare,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “Now, over the span of a few months, the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA have sought to manufacture a basis to reject this overwhelming scientific consensus, endangering all Americans and all New Yorkers.”
The 2009 Endangerment Finding was the direct result of the landmark 2007 U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Massachusetts v. EPA, which confirmed the EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that threaten public health and welfare. In direct response to that opinion, and after more than two years of scientific review, the EPA determined, in 2009, that greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles contribute to air pollution that harm public health and welfare.
2009 Endangerment Finding Comment Letter
In their letter submitted to the EPA today, the coalition argues that rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding would violate settled law, Supreme Court precedent, and scientific consensus, endangering the lives of hundreds of millions of Americans, particularly those in communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms.
Scientific research has proven that every region of the country is experiencing harms of climate change and motor vehicle pollution, including changes in temperature, precipitation, and sea level rise. Extreme summer heat — driven by climate change — is leading to increased rates of heat-related illnesses and deaths, particularly among vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, low-income individuals, and workers. Increasing rates of natural disasters — like wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, and droughts — not only have a devastating effect on public health and safety, but on state and local economies as well.
Climate change poses existential risks to New Yorkers’ health and safety. Sea level rise in New York City is putting communities and infrastructure at risk of regular flooding. Extreme weather events — such as Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Ida in 2021 — can result in injury and loss of life due to exposure, interrupted utility service, or lack of access to emergency services. Additionally, warming temperatures exacerbate or introduce health problems. On average, more than 500 New Yorkers die prematurely because of extreme heat in New York City each year.
Not only does the EPA’s proposed reversal ignore those facts, but it also violates the EPA’s legal obligations under the federal Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions to address climate change.
The coalition argues, in today’s letter, that the EPA’s new legal interpretations are inconsistent with the Clean Air Act and binding Supreme Court precedent, and that the proposal would mark a drastic reversal of its own longstanding findings without any explanation grounded in science. To make matters worse, the Climate Working Group report on which the EPA relies is substantively flawed, yet the EPA blindly accepts its findings and disregards the scientific consensus, which was just reaffirmed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine last week.
In filing this comment letter, the coalition urges the EPA to abandon its proposal to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding.
Motor Vehicles Comment Letter
In withdrawing the 2009 Endangerment Finding, the EPA also proposes to repeal all existing federal greenhouse gas emissions standards for all motor vehicle classes and all years. In a second letter submitted to the EPA today, the coalition explains that this unprecedented disruption to the regulatory norms of the last 15 years will harm states and local governments’ residents, industries, natural resources, and public investments.
Regulatory enforcement for greenhouse gas emissions is also crucial to vehicle affordability, consumer choice, and to the success of the American automotive industry. The greenhouse gas program for vehicles incentivizes automakers to innovate and create better cars, saving drivers hundreds of billions of dollars in fuel and maintenance costs, and helps support domestic manufacturing and jobs. Repealing that program, as the EPA now proposes, will shutter factories, kill jobs, and wipe out billions of dollars in investments by Congress, states, and local governments to keep the American auto industry thriving and globally competitive.
Climate Working Group Comment Letter
Earlier this month, on September 2, the City of New York joined another coalition of 27 localities from around the nation in filing a comment letter opposing the Climate Working Group report that EPA relied on in its proposed recission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding.
In that comment letter, the coalition identified several legal flaws in the Climate Working Group report. In creating the Climate Working Group, the U.S. Department of Energy selected five widely known climate change skeptics, ignored well-established scientific integrity standards, and failed to comply with the Federal Advisory Committee Act’s procedures, which require the disclosure of all committee-related records and that committee meetings be open to the public.
The report — written in less than two months and filled with inaccuracies, factual omissions, and mischaracterizations of climate science research — attempts to critique decades of peer-reviewed scientific research establishing that the emission of greenhouse gases cause climate change and endanger public health and welfare.
In filing the comment letter, the coalition urged the Department of Energy to withdraw the unlawful and misguided Climate Working Group report.
Joining the City of New York in filing all three comment letters were the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the chief legal officers of the city and county of Denver, Colorado, Chicago, Illinois, and Martin Luther King Jr. County, Washington.
Climate Working Group Amicus Brief
On August 29, the City of New York and 19 attorneys general from around the nation filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Environmental Defense Fund v. Wright, supporting the plaintiffs in their effort to declare the Climate Working Group’s report unlawful.
In their brief, the coalition argued that the Department of Energy violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act by establishing and utilizing the Climate Working Group, and that this violation will harm state and local governments’ strong interest in ensuring that the federal government rely on the best available science to guide its climate policy decisions. In New York City, the New York City Panel on Climate Change uses federal climate data to develop its own reports and mapping tools, which inform many city policies, including the Climate Resilience Design Guidelines and zoning rules related to current and future flood conditions.
On September 17, the district court held that the federal government is not exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
Joining the City of New York in filing this amicus brief were the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
In addition to the actions described above, Elijah Hutchinson, Executive Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, testified before EPA on August 21 to oppose its proposed recission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding and motor vehicle greenhouse gas standards.
These four actions build on the numerous actions the Adams administration has taken to protect New Yorkers from the effects of climate change. Just last week, Mayor Adams broke ground on a $218 million public safety project to protect Red Hook from coastal flooding and save hundreds of millions of dollars for residents in lost property costs. And, as announced in the Mayor’s Management Report last week, in Fiscal Year 2025, the city saw major environmental gains and savings, largely due to composting and recycling. Overall recycling tonnage increased 4 percent, and the diversion rate of recyclables rose for a third consecutive year to 21.8 percent, the highest since Fiscal Year 2011. Tons of refuse disposed to landfills decreased to the lowest level in at least 15 years, largely due to the tons of organic waste that were diverted, which increased nearly 29 percent. In 2023, Mayor Adams celebrated the passage of the “City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality” proposal, a historic set of citywide zoning changes that will facilitate climate action, clean energy, and resiliency.
