Adams joins GOP call for special legislative session to tackle NYC crime
Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday joined GOP lawmakers’ calls for an emergency session of the state legislature to deal with New York’s spiraling crime crisis.
“I hope that just as we had a special call to return to Albany to deal with the [US Supreme Court] ruling on right to carry [handguns], I believe that Albany should consider coming and revisiting some of the violence we’re seeing of repeated offenders,” Adams said at a City Hall news conference.
“We need to be clear on that. We’re not talking about someone that steals an apple. We’re talking about someone that has repeatedly used violence in our city: robberies, grand larcenies, burglaries, shootings, carrying a gun,” Adams said.
“This group of people are repeated offenders in our community, and they’re hurting our public safety.”
Hizzoner’s comments came after a 12-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy were among nine people wounded by gunfire in a series of shootings across the c൲ity late Monday.
They also followed a demand last week by the legislature’s Republican minority leaders for a special session to repeal the state’s controversial bail reform law after the attack on GOP gubernatorial candidate and Long Island’s outgoing US Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) during a campaign event near Rochester.
Alleged assailant David Jakubonis, 43, was automatically released without bail after his arrest on attempted second-degree assault but was later locked up when the feds charged him with attacking a member of Congress with a dangerous weapon.
Last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul convened a special session of the legislature to ban concealed firearms from “sensitive locations,” including Times Square and mass transit, and to require applicants for pistol permits to divulge information about their social media accounts.
Hochul said as of now there is “no discussion” tied to calling lawmakers back to Albany for a special session during a separate event at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan Tuesday.
“What I’d like to point out is that significant changes to the bail laws were made — reforms to the reforms — because I believe that we have to do everything we can in our power to protect public safety,” she added, noting that there needs to be a “consensus” among lawmakers in order for the changes to be approved.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-The Bronx) said he doesn’t think a special session “is necessary.”
“The three types of crimes referenced by the mayor are bail eligible and detention can be sought in family court under current law,” he said in an emailed statement.
During Tuesday’s news conference, Adams also repeated his calls for district attorneys and judges to speed up prosecutions and sentencings to get criminals “off the street.”
“While we’re waiting for changes in these laws, which is going to be an uphill battle, there are things we can do right now,” he said.
