Eric Adams in 2020s Mayor's Press Releases
On Budget & Economy:
Save $1.5B by instituting two year hiring freeze
We will save $1.5B and avoid layoffs by simply not hiring anyone new for two years. We can significantly reduce labor costs by $1.5 billion through attrition by not replacing retiring or resigning essential City workers and working with the
State to offer early retirements to others over the next two years. This will also allow us to significantly cut costs while retaining the workers we need to deliver vital City services.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Budget & Economy:
Use incentives to attract life science business to NYC
Make NYC the life sciences capital of the world. Life sciences is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world--and these companies want to locate in cities where they will have access to leading hospitals, universities and investors like
New York City. To bring them here, we will double-down on the existing life sciences initiative with incentives and zoning changes that will draw in private investment and federal dollars for research.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Crime:
Beaten by police at 15, joined NYPD to reform from within
When he was beaten by police in the basement of a precinct house at 15, Eric faced a life-changing act of injustice. But instead of giving into anger, Eric turned his pain into purpose and decided to change the police department from within.
He joined the NYPD and became one of its most outspoken officers, calling out racism and bias in the department and pushing for major reforms.
As a founder of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, Eric would often police the streets in a bulletproof vest one day during the high-crime 1980's and 1990's and protest bad behavior by cops the next, marching side-by-side with his
fellow civil rights advocates. He rose to the rank of captain, helping to build the first computerized system for tracking crime in the city, which led to historic gains in public safety.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Crime:
Reduce crime by having cops focus on police work
About 500 police officers work in full time clerical jobs or driving trucks or removing barricades instead of conducting investigations or preventing crime. Even police officers tasked with fighting crime spend huge amounts of their time on court
appearances and paperwork. A starting police officer earns $42,500 a year, which goes up to about $85,000 in less than six years. Police administrative aides make just $33,875 a year. The total savings could go into programs proven to reduce crime.
Appoint the first woman police commissioner. There are about 6,500 female officers in the roughly 36,000-member force, according to city statistics.
While the number of women cops have grown over the years, there are few in the higher ranks, starting at captain and on up. We will encourage more women to test for promotion to join the upper ranks--all the way to the top.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Crime:
I'll have cops' backs, but they'll have backs of the people
Asked what he would say to officers who are angry about calls to defund their departments, Adams said, "I say to my officers, 'If you don't want to be on the street anymore, then get off my streets.' I don't want to hear someone say, because they
don't like what government is doing, you're not going to protect my public. No." He promised, "I'm going to have the finest officers. I will have their backs, but they're going to have the backs of the people of this city."
Source: Associated Press: 2021 NYC Mayoral press release
Jul 7, 2021
On Crime:
Abusive "stop-and-frisk" will never happen under my watch
To "bring back stop-and-frisk" is not accurate. [Adams told CBS New York last year, of stop-and-frisk, "Used it, used it often, great tool. We should never have removed stop-and-frisk."] Police officers must follow the rules to be able to question if
there's reasonable suspicion that someone is carrying that firearm. That's not what we were doing. We were stopping and frisking people based on their ethnicities and based on the communities they were in. That will never happen under my administration.
Source: Vanity Fair on 2021 NYC Mayoral race
Jun 21, 2021
On Drugs:
Evaluate substance abuse clinics locations, spread them out
The city has scores of free or low-costs drug and alcohol abuse clinics and treatment centers, but many are not located in areas where they are most needed, and they tend to be clustered around places like 125th Street in Harlem.
I will launch a citywide program to evaluate the location of substance abuse clinics and make sure they are adequately spread out to support people in all parts of New York City.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Drugs:
I pushed cannabis bill, but let's be smart about marijuana
I supported and pushed the cannabis bill. My concern is that we can't send the wrong message to people that it's okay to smoke a joint and then go do an operation, or it's okay to smoke a joint and then go to school in the morning, or to operate heavy
equipment. That is my concern. We need to let people know of the medical benefits, but also the medical concerns. Let's let the medical professionals give people the right information so they can be smart in using marijuana.
Source: Vanity Fair on 2021 NYC Mayoral race
Jun 21, 2021
On Education:
Expand summer school; keep buildings open year round
300 years ago, when children worked alongside their families on an agrarian calendar, it made sense to take a few months off to tend to the crops. Those days are long over. By greatly expanding summer school options, we can much better use our education
infrastructure by creating more flexibility for parents in how--and when--their child receives their education. This calendar change will ensure our school buildings stay open year-round and are available for day-long activities.
A culture of mindfulness in the classroom, including proven stress-management techniques like meditation, can help students faced with structural challenges develop the inner strength and wherewithal to overcome the obstacles stacked against them.
We will pursue a universal program that gives every student a start to their school day, whether in-person or remote, with a brief session of meditation and mindfulness.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Education:
Make dyslexia screening universal
Studies show that up to 30-40% of inmates in prisons are dyslexic, indicating that students whose learning challenges are not discovered are also not addressed. By making dyslexia screening universal in City schools, we will identify
these challenges early and better ensure success for students. Schools must find better alternatives to suspensions and expulsions, increase job training programs, and make dyslexia screening universal to identify these challenges early.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Energy & Oil:
Transition our power source to wind, away from natural gas
By upgrading our electrical grid, transitioning our power source to wind and away from natural gas, and implementing traffic controls to reduce idling, we can improve the quality of life of New Yorkers and create thousands
of new jobs, especially those in low-income communities facing environmental injustice. With waterfront assets we have an opportunity to corner the market on wind power manufacturing and other green technologies.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Families & Children:
Increase Earned Income Tax Credit, provide childcare
We will keep dollars in the hands of New Yorkers who most need it by boosting the City's Earned Income Tax Credit amount for frontline workers by increasing their share to 30% of the Federal return. It is a moral imperative that we
provide childcare for every parent who cannot afford it, starting at birth. This will close a massive gap in care for the youngest New Yorkers, and free parents--especially women of color--to power our economy and excel in their careers.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Government Reform:
Have city agency data combined on single platform
Nearly all City agencies are siloed, operating separately from one another without sharing data or metrics, often duplicating efforts and resulting in waste, inefficiency and poor delivery of services. By combining all agency metrics onto
a single platform and using analytics to track performance in real time, we can go from a reactive management approach to being proactive and, eventually, predictive. This will improve performance and save billions of dollars.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Government Reform:
Create schoolwide initiatives encouraging voter registration
We will create school-wide pre-registration initiatives that encourage students to register while demystifying the voting process, as well as introducing them to the systems that taken together make up our democracy, from community boards to elected
officials' offices, our court systems to the press, as well as the activist community. Understanding the mechanics of precinct council meetings and city council hearings makes a young person much more likely to actively participate in our democracy.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Gun Control:
Reinvent the anti-crime unit as an anti-gun unit
Reinvent the anti-crime unit as an anti-gun unit, hiring officers with the skills and temperament for this kind of intense, on the ground police work by targeting known shooters with precision policing tactics.Prevent guns from coming in through our
bus and train stations with spot checks like the ones we use in subway stations.
Coordinate a multi-state East Coast compact to share information on dirty gun dealers and potential traffickers to make up for a lack of federal response.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Health Care:
After diabetes diagnosis, led proactive public health effort
Eric became a national leader on public health policy after learning he had developed Type 2 diabetes. Following his diagnosis, Eric completely changed his diet and his body, reversing the disease and launching a personal mission to educate
New Yorkers about preventative care and wellness. His work led to successful proactive public health efforts across the city and increased education in schools and with high-risk populations in lower-income areas.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Health Care:
Expand telehealth to reduce the number of hospital visits
We must expand telemedicine to reduce emergency room overcrowding like we experienced at the height of the pandemic,
cut costs--especially for uninsured or underinsured people--and empower patients to take control of their health care.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Immigration:
Allow lawful non-citizens right to vote in city elections
We will empower legal immigrants with municipal voting rights. There are more than 3 million immigrants in New York City. The vast majority of these New Yorkers cannot vote in local elections even though many are legal tax-paying residents.
By allowing lawfully permanent residents and other non-citizens authorized to work in the United States the right to vote, we will enfranchise nearly 1 million New Yorkers who deserve a say in how their city is run--and who runs it.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Principles & Values:
Adopt pet-friendly housing policies
According to a study by the ASPCA, housing-related issues are the number one reason renters give up their pets. NYC is a city of renters, and housing that is owned or operated by the City of New York should not displace the cost of caring for animals on
yet another City system--our animal shelters. By adopting pet-friendly policies in our City-owned and operated housing systems, we can keep pets out of the animal shelter by keeping them where they belong--with the people who love them.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Principles & Values:
Once praised Farrakhan, but denounces antisemitism
He has helped secure funding for bullet proof vests and cameras, while standing with the Orthodox community against antisemitism, despite having praised Louis Farrakhan at an earlier point. [He] explained that such praise was aimed at the Nation of
Islam's approach to public safety and had nothing to do with Jews. "I'm not a Muslim, I'm a Christian," he said. "I'm never supportive of any antisemitic statements and would never be supportive of that. I don't believe in that philosophy."
Source: Jewish Insider on 2021 NYC Mayoral race
Jun 21, 2021
On Tax Reform:
Two year "Recovery" tax for those making more than $5M
The multi-millionaires and billionaires must pay their fair share to help all of us get through the aftermath of the pandemic, which disproportionately hurt Black and Brown New Yorkers. We can generate $1 billion to 2 billion annually by instituting
a "Recovery Share"--a modest increase to the income taxes of city earners who make more than $5 million a year, sunsetting after two years. That money would go directly into initiatives that help us bounce back from the pandemic.
We will reward businesses that hire local workers and benefit minority and female owners and workers--especially on City-financed projects. Specifically, businesses will be asked to commit to hiring 75% city-based workers, prioritizing
M/WBE contractors, and ensuring their contractors pay a living wage and report their workers' residency and ethnicity statistics. Employers who agree to these terms could benefit from tax breaks and special consideration for City contracts.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Tax Reform:
Weekly sales tax holiday to support local business
Out-of-town tech companies like Amazon have asserted market dominance here at the expense of small business owners--a problem that only deepened during the pandemic. My administration will implement a weekly sales tax holiday, every Tuesday, on
services and products that are more likely to be paid for in-person to incentivize New Yorkers to spend locally. We will offset the cost of this weekly holiday by more fairly taxing online transactions such as streaming services, which are not taxed.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Welfare & Poverty:
Create MyCity, a one-stop portal for services and benefits
MyCity will allow users to type one number into a secure app or website to instantly receive every service and benefit they qualify for without an abundance of paperwork. This constantly updated information will help
New Yorkers protect themselves and their families. More than 1.5 million New Yorkers live in households that cannot afford enough quality food. Poor communications hurts effort to connect needy households to food resources.
New York City has 350,000 households that are unbanked and another 680,000 that are under banked. That means we are sidelining thousands of people from our economy and allowing industries such as payday lending to flourish by profiting off of poverty.
Community-based banks in lower-income areas that remove minimum balance requirements and overdraft fees will be granted property tax relief, or their landlords will, in exchange for sharing that relief as a rent break.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Welfare & Poverty:
Build affordable housing in wealthier areas
For years, our re-zonings focused on adding apartments in lower-income areas--which led to higher-income people moving in, making communities less affordable, and often forcing out longtime residents. We will build in wealthier areas with a
high quality of life, allowing lower- and middle-income New Yorkers to move in by adding affordable housing. And we will eliminate the community preference rule in those areas, which keeps many New Yorkers out of desirable neighborhoods.
Faith-based institutions have the social vision and local understanding to advance affordable and supportive housing projects on their own properties, but they often do not
have the financial or technical capacity to do so. We will partner with faith-based institutions across New York City to leverage these development rights for a public purpose.
Source: 2021 NYC Mayoral campaign website EricAdams2021.com
Jul 7, 2021
On Gun Control:
We have to stop the flow of guns; get them off the street
We have to stop the flow of guns, but we must also do the job of getting the guns off the streets that's on there now. My anti-gun unit, just a few weeks out, removed over 20 something guns off the street.
But here's the interesting number, 70% of those who were carrying the guns had prior violent offenses. We need to combine with that small number of people who are carrying guns with the large number of guns on our street and get both off our streets.
Source: CBS Face the Nation on 2021 New York City Mayoral race
Apr 3, 2022
On Foreign Policy:
Staunch supporter of Israel; won't call for ceasefire
Mayor Eric Adams defended his staunch support of Israel in the wake of growing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and almost daily protests across the city. "I stand up strong for people," Adams said at a City Hall roundtable with members of
Jewish media outlets. He cited instances when he stood with Muslims and other groups when they had come under attack. And while he has bemoaned the deaths of innocents since the war began, he has not called for Israel to restrain itself in Gaza.
Source: The Forward on 2025 NYC Mayoral race
Apr 9, 2024
On Homeland Security:
Proud of the important work 'Mission: VetCheck' is doing
[On veterans services]: "Our veterans put their lives on their line for our nation, so those who have served our country deserve to be served by their community," said Mayor Adams. "While even the simple act of being thanked for their service is
uplifting to our veterans, getting a call & being connected to vital services can be lifechanging. We are proud of the important work 'Mission: VetCheck' is doing to connect our city's veterans to mental health care, housing, job opportunities, and more."
Source: Harlem World on 2025 NYC Mayoral race
Mar 19, 2025
On Immigration:
Allow ICE agents access to people arrested not yet convicted
This Valentine's Day, a new political power couple said their vows on Fox & Friends: Donald Trump's "border czar", Tom Homan, and the New York City mayor, Eric Adams. The pair appeared on the conservative TV show to discuss an agreement they had
reached the day before. Their deal reversed longstanding New York City policy by letting federal immigration agents back onto Rikers Island, the city's jail complex that largely holds people who have been charged but not yet convicted of crimes.
Source: The Guardian on 2025 NYC Mayoral race
Feb 21, 2025
On Jobs:
DEI needs to be protected; it is proven to work
Mayor Eric Adams says DEI needs to be protected. He claims it is proven to work, including among his administration and partnerships in
minority and woman-owned business enterprises. He says there doesn't need to be a tradeoff with capabilities and inclusion.
Source: TK on 2025 NYC Mayoral race
Feb 23, 2025
Page last updated: Jun 23, 2025