The next mayor of New York City delivered a stinging rebuke on Wednesday to progressives calling for him to outlaw solitary confinemen...
The next mayor of New York City delivered a stinging rebuke on Wednesday to progressives calling for him to outlaw solitary confinement - telling them that he was determined to keep the city safe, and promising he has the knowledge to do so.
Eric Adams, who will replace Bill de Blasio on January 1, said his time as a member of the New York Police Department (NYPD) taught him about law and order.
'I wore a bulletproof vest for 22 years and protected the people of this city,' he said during a press conference.
'And when you do that, you have the right to question me on safety and public safety matters.
'I think I know a little something about this.'
Eric Adams on Wednesday said he would not back down on his policy of 'segregation' for violent prisoners - despite complaints from progressives earlier this week
A solitary confinement cell is seen at New York City's notorious Rikers Island jail
Adams, 61, on December 16 said he felt that prisons and jails should be allowed to keep using solitary confinement.
The veteran Democrat politician said he will reverse de Blasio's plans to end solitary confinement, and will send prisoners into 'segregation' from the main jail population from day one if they commit a violent act.
On December 21, a group of 30 council members wrote to him urging him to reconsider his stance.
'Solitary confinement is recognized by the UN, human rights orgs, & mental health experts to be torture,' tweeted Tiffany Caban, one of the signatories.
'Along w 29 council colleagues, I'm calling on incoming Mayor Adams to #HALTsolitary, & ensure dignity & safety for all our neighbors.
'NYC will never torture its way to safety.'
Adams, asked about the letter, was exasperated - insisting he did not promote solitary confinement, but rather felt that wardens should be allowed to segregate dangerous and violent inmates.
'I support punitive segregation,' he said.
'I am not going to be in a city where dangerous people assault innocent people; go to jail, and assault more people.
'You cannot have a jail system where someone sexually assaults a staffer, slash an inmate, and then say it's alright, I'm just going to give you an iPad and hug you and say don't do it again. No.
'If you are violent, you must be removed from population so that you don't inflict violence on other people. That's clear.'
Adams accused the 30 council members who wrote the letter of 'romanticizing' the reality inside the city's infamous prisons.
'Those who are romanticizing this issue, I'm asking them, go do a week on Rikers Island. Spend time there. Then you come out and tell me that dangerous should walk up and down and not be held accountable,' he said.
The entrance to Rikers Island - one of New York City's most violent and infamous jails
Rikers Island, with its bridge over to Queens and Manhattan in the background, has long been controversial
Jail cells are seen in the 'Enhanced Supervision Housing Unit' at Rikers Island
He said that he was angry the 30 had chosen to write an open letter rather than coming to speak to him and try and understand each others' views.
'If you want to work as a partner call me - hear my understandings and my beliefs,' he said.
'The one thing that's different from everyone who signed the letter and Eric Adams?
'I wore a bulletproof vest for 22 years and protected the people of this city.
'And when you do that, you have the right to question me on safety and public safety matters.
'I think I know a little something about this.'
Adams is taking over at a time of rising crime in New York City.
Shootings have increased both in 2020 and through November of 2021, to levels not seen since the mid-2000s, said Dermot Shea, the chief of NYPD.
Hate crimes are also up this year, led by anti-Jewish incidents.
Shea said earlier this month that the 4,144 gun arrests is the highest figure since 1995.
The number of murders decreased by 17.2 per cent, year on year, with 24 in November 2021 versus 29 in November 2020.
Overall crime rose by 3.4% year to date through November.
Adams is seen shortly before he retired from NYPD in 2006, and entered politics
Crime levels in New York City drastically spiked in 2020 and has continued to climb in 2021
New York City is currently experiencing soaring crime rates and an increase in shooting incidents not seen since the mid-2000s
As of December 6, Philadelphia had recorded 521 homicides for the year, surpassing New York's 443 and Los Angeles at 352
Adams said he was elected to protect the city - and that included inmates and staff behind bars.
'I'm going to protect my correction officers; I'm going to protect the inmates who are serving time; and I'm not going to allow violent people to do violence and think that they can do it without being held accountable,' he said.
'And we can do it in a humane fashion.'
'And if anyone wants to talk to me about that - don't write a letter.
'Call me, and speak with me. That is how we're going to resolve this.'
He said the 30 letter signatories were wanting to 'be disruptive' rather than seek solutions.
'There's a body of people that are coming into the city council that have no desire to move our city forward,' he said.
'Their desire is to be disruptive.
'What I am going to do: I'm going to ignore them. I'm going to stay committed, and undistracted.
'And I'm going to grind.
'If they like it or not - I'm the mayor.'
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