Mayor Eric Adams Thank you so much. You know, this has always been our North Star, and I’m sure people could almost do the entire quote, the prerequisite to prosperity is public safety, and nothing personifies our public safety more than removing guns off the street. And from day one, we talked about that. And even on the campaign trail, how important it was to remove these guns off the streets. And I’m really pleased to be joined here with the police commissioner of the City of New York, Commissioner Tisch, and a longtime advocate, her personal story of turning pain into purpose, losing sons to gun violence.
She didn’t sit back and say, woe is me. She said, why not me? And Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E is known as a bedrock in this community, and we cannot thank Jackie Rowe-Adams for the work that she has been doing in saving lives and a real partner. And also part of the crisis management team and others who have been part of the advocacy, stop the retaliatory shootings, and really playing a role in removing guns off our street. And finally, the men and women of the New York City Police Department.
I don’t think there’s a more dangerous assignment than going after those who are carrying guns. And as we acknowledged yesterday, the loss of Officer Mora and Officer Rivera, how impactful it is for the families. And even when a bullet hits the target, the emotional turmoil rips the anatomy of our community and the families. It lasts over and over again, and the reflection is real every day. And that’s why taking guns off the street is at the utmost importance in our city.
And as we remove illegal guns from our streets and taking them out of the hands of criminals, we can ensure our city becomes safer and safer every day. And so today, I’m proud to announce with the police commissioner that we have removed more than 20,000 illegal guns from our streets since the day I was sworn in as the mayor.
20,000 firearms. Just think about that for a moment. On the left and the right of the three of us is really just a representation of the type of weapons that we have removed off the streets of the City of New York. That’s 20,000 weapons that no longer can threaten the safety of New Yorkers and our neighborhoods, our families and our children. 20,000 fewer chances that a New Yorker is shot or killed. 20,000 rivers of violence as we continue to dam each river and we’re damming each river that is allowing the sea of violence to come into our city.
And this is a major milestone for our city and a clear shift in the right direction where we’ve also taken 3,000— 3,000 more ghost guns from 2022 through 2024, the previous three years. And of the 20,000— I want to correct that we took 3,000 more guns off our street, 3,000 more guns off our streets between the previous three years. And out of those 20,000 guns, 1,400 of those guns were ghost guns as we indicated on the billboard behind us. These ghost guns are untraceable. They’re dangerous. They could be made inside someone’s home or inside someone’s store. We have really zeroed in on the issues of ghost guns in the city.
So I thank the brave men and women of the Police Department and over the past three years, the initiatives that we put in place. And there were just many people who were critiquing the initiatives, but we knew what we had to do. In order to remove guns off our streets, we had to have individuals who were going to be focused on that. And so we launched the Neighborhood Safety Teams and established the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, investing in diversion programs because we wanted to focus on upstream models to make sure that we could stop young people in general from having guns in their hands, as well as raising expectation and increasing enforcement across the board, send out our officers with a very clear message that we wanted to decrease violence in our city.
Because of our steadfast focus on eradicating gun violence, New York City continues to be the safest, by far the safest big city in America. And under this administration for three years in a row, the number of homicides and shootings have both declined by double digits. Homicides are down by almost 23 percent and shooters are down by more than 42 percent. Unbelievable numbers when you think about it.
That means we saved 268 additional lives and seen 1,500 fewer shooting victims. The year may be new, but our priorities are still the same. Keep New York safe by getting guns off the streets. And NYPD’s officers just this year, a few weeks into this year alone, have removed over 300 firearms, illegal firearms, in the first weeks of 2025.
So thanks to the commissioner, to our team, our partners, all of our officers who are doing the job every day. And listen, we’re clear. Commissioner and I were in the subway system yesterday, last night. We know these random acts of violence have shaken New Yorkers. And we all know safety is more than just stats. We know people must not only be safe, they must feel safe. And that is why we are infusing over 1,000 more cops into these law enforcement apparatus, as well as what the commissioner announced yesterday with two officers riding on every subway car, subway train in the system.
We rolled out 100 last night, and we’re going to continue to expand. And this is an important initiative because it adds to—yes, we have 4.6 million riders and only six felonies a day. We want to get rid of those six felonies. But we’re clear when we speak to passengers, they want to feel safe, and nothing does a better job in doing that than the presence of that blue uniform. So we’re building stronger bonds between the police and the communities they save and creating opportunities for young people to stay safe in their city.
And as I said in my State of the City address recently, we must make this city to be the safest place to raise a family. And that starts with safer streets for our families to walk down, safer transit to ride on, and safer parks to play in. Every gun we take off the street gets us another step closer to this goal. And every day I will continue to work to ensure that this remains the safest big city in America, but our goal is to make it the safest city in America. And we have a great, great leader in doing that, Commissioner Tisch. Commissioner?
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch: Good morning, everyone. Today we celebrate a milestone of over 20,000 guns seized by the women and men of the NYPD in the three years since Mayor Adams took office. From day one of his administration, he has made it clear that illegal guns have no place in our city.
And most importantly, he has provided the necessary support and the resources so that your NYPD cops could carry out this mission. 20,000 guns seized is a great achievement, but it represents so much more. It’s about lives saved and families spared from the tragedy of gun violence. Comparing 2021 to 2024, we are down 659 shooting incidents and 775 fewer victims. That is a 42 percent reduction in shootings. And in 2024, the borough of Brooklyn saw the lowest number of shootings since CompStat began tracking them in the early 90s.
20,000 guns seized is also about neighborhoods made safer. That’s why we’re making this announcement inside of Harlem’s 25th precinct. This community saw a more than 50 percent decrease in shooting incidents last year. Results like that don’t just happen on their own. Make no mistake, behind every gun seized is the dangerous and noble work our officers undertake every tour.
In the last three years, gun arrests were up over 8 percent compared to the previous three-year period. Among them, more than 1,400 were ghost guns. In each of those arrests, our officers put themselves in harm’s way to confront an armed criminal. That includes officers like Detective First Grade Jonathan Diller of blessed memory, who less than a year ago was doing that very same work.
One of the 20,000 guns seized was the one that senselessly ended Detective Diller’s life. It was in the hands of a career criminal who was already out on a gun charge. That’s why I am adamant that removing guns is only part of the equation.
The other part, and a critical part, is ensuring that those who carry these weapons in our communities face real consequences. Far too often, violent criminals arrested with illegal guns find themselves right back on our streets, cycling through a system that fails to hold them accountable. George Owens is a perfect example of that broken system. In 2023, Owens was arrested for possessing a loaded firearm in transit while out on parole. While out on the case, Owens was again arrested, this time for attempted murder. Both cases are still open, and yet Owens is still out on our streets.
This needs to change. In the meantime, this department will continue to do its job, seizing guns, dismantling trafficking pipelines, and preventing shootings before they happen. To the women and men of the NYPD who do the work every day, thank you. You are making a real difference in people’s lives, and New Yorkers are so fortunate to have you on their side. And thank you again to Mayor Adams for always having our departments back as we do this vital work. Now I’m going to introduce someone who needs no real introduction, the great Jackie Rowe-Adams.
Jackie Rowe-Adams, Founder and CEO, Harlem Mothers and Fathers S.A.V.E: Thank you, commissioner. I am so glad that you are the Commissioner, because you’re making it happen and you’re getting it done. And you’re working hard with our mayor that’s been working hard ever since he came to office. 2006, Mayor Adams, which at that time he was Sergeant Adams, and he was the sergeant and the president of the 100 Black Law Enforcement, and he stood on the steps of City Hall with five of us crying moms. I lost two kids to gun violence, but the other moms lost the same. And we said, help, and we were giving his name. And we talked about who’s giving our kids these guns, who stood on those steps, none other than Eric Adams as the sergeant of NYPD.
And he’s still standing on those steps, but I’m proud to say he’s standing there as the mayor of New York City. But let me also say, he don’t stand alone. We stand with him, because from the time he took office, and when I’m talking about– we the community and the moms and families who’ve lost kids to not only gun violence, but to murder. People need to pay attention to what’s really going on in this world, and this community, and this city. When he took office, he started day one. When he got sworn in, he came down, he started working. And when he started working, the first thing was the shooting, the shooting, like that next day. He was on the job.
Mayor Adams did more, and I want you to hear me, media, more than any mayor in New York City have done in the four years they’ve been there. Now, some might say, really? Yes, really. Actually do your job. Where is the elected officials that need to stand with him? They all took an oath. They all have a community, and they all have violence in their community. Right now, I’m calling on all elected officials to stop complaining, stop criticizing, and do something and get something done. And stand with Mayor Adams. Stand with the commissioner. Stand with NYPD that’s out there putting themself on the line every day. We’re going to a memorial Saturday, of the two officers that got killed putting themself on the line to save our lives. Enough is enough.
We need our public safety, but we need the community to step up. We, the community, knows who’s giving our kids these guns, who’s selling these guns, and who’s killing each other. The legislators in Albany need to wake up, get up and do something. See, they’re going to continue to do nothing if we continue to put them in office. We’re going to have the people stand up and vote them out and stop. We don’t care who don’t like who. It’s not about who like who. It’s about saving lives. Look at all these guns over here. Let’s take these guns off the street.
Let the legislators start doing their job and stop turning down legislation that will help this city. I am so proud of Mayor Adams, there’s so much I want to say, but I know I don’t have the time. But I do want to leave with this. Thank God for Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E because we are families who’ve had losses, hurting, pain every day. We can hardly get up, but we get up. We get up to help somebody else because we can’t bring back our kids. So it’s so important if you see something, you got to say something.
It’s important that you stand up and take back our community and take back our kids. Stop this violence. And mayor, I just want to say thank you for always caring. And I mean it. This is so emotional for me and so many other mothers and so many other families because our mayor is out there with the NYPD because he can’t do it alone. And I want to say about the ghost guns, a lot of people don’t know about these ghost guns. I even told our councilperson about the ghost guns.
I’m very serious about these ghost guns because they’re silent. You cannot find it. You cannot figure out where they come from, but we know where they come from and you know where they come from. And let’s get it done. Let’s get it stopped. I work with the DA on this. These ghost guns are serious. We have to bring down this crime and stop hating on each other.
And mayor, Dr. Martin Luther King would be so proud of you because you are doing the work. You are doing the work to save lives. And that’s what he did in different ways. But let me say this. He is our hero, Dr. Martin Luther King, but you are our hero too. And you just keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t let nobody turn you around. Don’t let this negativity stop you because you’re saving our lives. You’re saving lives and you just keep on. God bless you. God bless you.
Mayor Adams Well, I need to take you everywhere. You know, and Sister Jackie Rowe talked about, you know, this is a ghost gun. You know, the machinery and mechanism and technology, we used to always ask the questions of where the gun manufacturing plants are in our communities when these guns flow in.
Now, that question has turned into any local bodega, any store, any shop, any home. Fourteen hundred of these ghost guns, untraceable, was removed off our streets. And again, as both the commissioner and Jackie Rowe-Adams stated, we can’t do it alone. We have to have real partners. And it’s fortunate we have a public safety chair that brings a balance to the public safety issues that we’re facing. So I want to bring on Councilman Yusef Salaam.
City Councilmember Yusef Salaam: Well, thank you for having me, first of all, and for standing up and for doing the necessary work. Because the other component that I’ve always been focused on, not just as the public safety chair, not just as the councilmember, but also as a member of the formerly known Central Park Five, now Exonerated Five, I’ve been focused on how to revitalize the very life that is in our community, that life that says that you’re not valuable.
The truth of the matter is that every single one of us was born on purpose and with a purpose. And when we don’t see that, it takes– it gives us the liberty to choose to take another person’s life. The reality is that we should be lifting each other up. And in the meantime and in between time, we got to make sure that we provide the necessary safety until that time happens. And I’m looking at this ghost gun and I’m like, this looks like a gun that was manufactured by, you know, any number of the gun manufacturers.
But the fact that something like this is in our community, that gives license to a person who says, I don’t value your life. We need to remove all of that off of our streets. And I’m proud to be able to utilize my voice in this moment for this purpose, to be in what I call righteous collaboration because we need our police officers to do the work.
Remember, when I think about Dr. King, Dr. King said, when you find your purpose in life, do it as if God himself called you to do it at this very moment. And I remember that young girl in 2013 who stood up in an audience before I was even thinking about running for office, who said, Yusef, I want to be an officer. I want to be a cop. What advice can you give me? And I mulled over what to say to her. Then I realized that this wasn’t an officer yet. This was a perfect opportunity to remind her that on the side of every cop car in the nation are the words to serve and protect.
That in New York, we go a step above and beyond and say courtesy, professionalism and respect. And when I see those ideals carried out by the precious officers that are waking up every day to do the necessary work to serve and protect, to provide courtesy, professionalism and respect, those are the officers that we need and we need more of them. And so thank you, Mayor Adams. Thank you, Commissioner Tisch for doing this work. Thank you, Mama Jackie Rowe.
You know, we go back a very, very long time. One of her sons and I, we were in junior high school and high school together. And so we go back way into the late 80s, 1980s. Yes, indeed. Yes, absolutely. And so I’m just you know, I’m fortunate really to you know, sometimes people look at me and say, Man, wow, you don’t look like you’ve been to prison. You don’t sound like you’ve been to prison.
I thank God I don’t look like what I’ve been through. I thank God I don’t sound like what I’ve been through. But I thank God most importantly, that I still have my mind intact to do the necessary work that I know we have to do, which is why I call it righteous collaboration. We have to work together in order to make sure that we see that light at the end of the tunnel becoming brighter and brighter. So thank you for what you all have done and continue to do. And I’m just glad to partner in this particular moment as the chair of public safety in the City Council.
Question: Were any guns seized last night, and [inaudible].
Mayor Adams No, I was not. I was at 14th Street and Metropolitan Avenue station. We took the L line and spoke with some passengers on there. But no, I was not on the scene there. And we could find out if any guns were retrieved last night on the subway system.
Question: Commissioner, when you talk about sort of this, you know, revolving door of justice that puts these people that use guns back out on the streets, I’m wondering if you could be more specific on what needs to change on the justice side to keep these people locked up.
Commissioner Tisch: So we need all of our partners to step up in the criminal justice system. I can go through some of them. Certainly we need some laws to change up in Albany. Top of mind right now for sure is the discovery law, which allows too many people out on technicalities that have absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the case. And we are looking forward to continuing conversations we’re having with lawmakers specifically on that law.
We need our judges to step up and do the right thing, especially in cases where bail is eligible and bail is called for, to keep dangerous criminals off the streets. And we continue to work with our district attorneys to make sure that the cases, that they’re bringing forward the cases that they should bring forward, that we are bringing to them. I’m concerned by some of the decline prosecution rates that I’m seeing. And so those are ongoing conversations that we’re having.
Question: For either the mayor or the commissioner, when you talk about ghost guns, as I understand it right now, pretty much almost 90 percent or so can be freely printed in any person’s home. I was wondering if you could talk about the challenges that officers face when they have to now add policing, when you have to deal with that. And also, in regards to what you were speaking before, is there any laws you’d like to see changed to maybe prohibit these freely printings from being distributed?
Mayor Adams And you’re right, it is extremely challenging. When you could turn any bedroom into a manufacturing plant, it is extremely difficult. You know, this country takes pride in their right to privacy. And so you don’t know what is inside an apartment or a store if there’s no apparent legal reason to conduct an investigation. And there have been a number of incidents where parents did not know that the printers that were located in the room of their children was actually producing guns.
So this has placed a new dynamic on the challenge of fighting ghost guns. When you have guns like this, as the councilman just pointed out, this gun was printed by a 3D printer and made fashionable, made attractive. And 1,400 of these were removed off our streets here in the city. So it’s a real challenge. But NYPD is known for stepping up to the challenges that they are facing. Do you want to add anything, Commissioner?
Question: Have gun processing times been an obstacle? Gun processing times meaning the delaying in when it’s given to the DA and when it’s finally adjudicated. I understand it’s almost like a year and a half at this point. Has that come up as a challenge?
Mayor Adams And that is part of what the commissioner is raising. Oftentimes when we think of public safety, we only think about the men and women in the blue uniform. But the public safety apparatus includes our lawmakers and our judges. They are part of the process.
And when we look at the population of those who are waiting to go on trial due to gun violence or serious violent crimes, it is taking far too long. And that is what is really part of the population we have at Rikers Island.
Many of them are waiting to go through trial before they are able to come to a conclusion of their case. So what we are looking at now under Deputy Mayor Chauncey Parker is how each part of the apparatus ensures that they are checking within the length of time to process a particular gun case. And we are going to be rolling out a sort of a CompStat version of where we are in each area of the criminal justice apparatus to move these cases forward.
Question: You have been pushing for, in the past, changes to Raise the Age. Just wondering if that is something, another priority this year. And your thoughts as well on that, commissioner, if you think that the Raise the Age has made it difficult to prosecute people who do have guns, like 17-year-olds.
Mayor Adams We found that similar to what happened during the 70s, where drug dealers would give drugs to young people because the prosecution was lower and how it was treated was different because the person is a juvenile. We are seeing similar patterns where young people are now being given guns to carry.
And we are seeing an increase in the number of shooters and victims that are young people. And so we should do an analysis of that. Anytime you do a law, you should go back and do a reflection on that law and see how is it impacting any area, but particularly here, public safety. And so we should look and see and look at the data and see that since Raise the Age, how has the impact actually unfolded under young people and did it reach the results that they were looking for? You want to answer that, commissioner?
Commissioner Tisch: Sure. Just to pick up on the point that the mayor made, I think overwhelmingly when we see shooting incidents involving juveniles, often the victims are also juveniles. So that’s an important thing to keep in mind. But as the mayor was saying, I have requested that the department pull together a lot of data on what the impacts of that change in the law have been. This is something we want to be thoughtful about and study carefully before we make recommendations and we’re in the process of doing that. Alright, thanks guys.
January 22, 2025 New York, NY
Sources: NYC.gov, Midtown Tribune
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