New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he believes the loss of Lori Lightfoot in Chicago’s mayoral election last week could have implications for the entire country, calling it “a warning sign.”
Adams campaigned heavily on issues of public safety and combating rising crime with his unique perspective gained from his time working in law enforcement.
‘I think it is a warning sign for the country. Eric Adams has been talking about public safety not only during the election campaign, but for next year as well,’ the mayor began.
I showed up at the crime scenes. He knew what New Yorkers were saying. And I saw it all over the country. I think, if anything, it’s really saying that this is what I’ve been talking about. America, we have to be safe’, said CNN on Sunday.
During his campaign, Adams emphasized how public safety was not just a political issue, but a fundamental necessity for the prosperity of America’s cities.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams says Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s re-election loss is a warning sign for the entire country, not just Democratic mayors.
Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her re-election bid over criticism of her soft approach to crime amid a steady rise in violence. Pictured: Lightfoot at his election night rally on February 28.
‘Mayors, we are closer. We are closer to the problem. We are focused on public safety because people want to be safe,’ he said.
Adams called public safety a “prerequisite for prosperity” in American cities. He He said mayors should be able to see the impact of crime firsthand and work with law enforcement officials and community leaders to find solutions.
But Adams has faced criticism from some Democrats who argue that his rhetoric on crime hurts the party and plays into the hands of Republicans.
Adams responded to this criticism by noting that the concerns of the common working class cannot be ignored.
Adams highlighted how he claims to have witnessed firsthand the fear and anxiety felt by many New Yorkers about rising crime, and believes his concerns should be taken seriously.
‘The polls were clear. New Yorkers felt unsafe, and the numbers showed they weren’t. if we want to ignore what the public says every day, then that’s up to them. I’m in the subway. I walk the streets. I speak to ordinary working class people. And they were concerned about safety.
“We have a recidivism problem in New York and too many people, there are about 2,000 people who are repeatedly caught, released, repeat offenders. If we don’t get them off our streets, they will continue to harass innocent people.
Last month, the NYPD revealed a 5.6 percent drop in felony crimes for February compared to the same year last year, including 10 fewer murders compared to 2022.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who was notoriously soft on crime, garnered just 17 percent of the vote in the city council race, forcing a runoff between former schools chief executive Paul Vallas and commissioner Brandon Johnson. Cook County on April 4.
Lightfoot, the first black woman and the first openly gay person to lead the city, won her first term in 2019 after vowing to end decades of corruption and underhanded dealings on City Hall.
But opponents blamed Lightfoot for a spike in crime that occurred in US cities during the pandemic and criticized her for being a divisive and overly controversial leader.
As crime continued to rise during the later years of her tenure, Lightfoot was heavily criticized for promoting issues other than public safety, including a citywide karaoke contest and dancing in the street during a festival.
Speaking to supporters Tuesday night, Lightfoot called being mayor of Chicago “the honor of a lifetime.”
“Regardless of the outcome tonight, we fought the right fights and set this city on a better path,” Lightfoot said. She told her fellow mayors across the country not to be afraid to be bold.
Lightfoot first faced backlash after joining calls by Democratic mayors in 2021 to cut the budget for police departments, a move that also resulted in officers leaving the force and a rise in violent crime.
The embattled mayor then vowed to do a U-turn, opting instead to ‘reimburse the police’ and hire more officers, but the move has done little to curb crime.
According to the latest report from the Chicago Police Department, rapes have skyrocketed 16 percent so far this year compared to the same period in 2022.
Robberies were also up 13 percent, with aggravated assault and robbery both up 11 percent.
Theft in the Windy City increased 31 percent, and vehicle thefts, specifically, shot up 143 percent.
Homicide and shooting incidents were the only category to see declines, falling 18 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
While violent crime overall is up 52 percent from the same period last year, it’s up 102 percent compared to 2021.