Mayor Eric Adams vowed to reach a “middle ground” on public safety and policing policies — after he said the pendulum had swung too far “to the left” during former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s tenure.
“We were so far in the wrong direction of, really, abusive policing in our city and country that people got so fed up that they turned the ship too far in the wrong direction,” Adams told Anderson Cooper during an appearance on “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday.
Interjected Cooper, “Too far to the left, you’re saying?”
“To the left,” the mayor, who in 2013 testified against the use of “stop-and-frisk,” confirmed.
Adams pledged instead to find a “middle ground,” even as he has faced criticism for his revamped version of the NYPD plainclothes anti-crime unit disbanded under de Blasio.
“There is a middle ground. We only talk about, ‘How do we protect the rights of those who commit a crime?’ How about start talking about, ‘How do we protect the rights of people who are doing the right thing?'” Hizzoner said.
Adams has repeatedly insisted that the new anti-gun team, which was unveiled in January, will not repeat the mistakes of the past.
Cooper then pressed Adams on how his tough-on-crime focus might make liberals question whether the mayor — who was previously a registered Republican for seven years — is a true member of the Democratic Party.
“Listen, there are 8.8 million people in this city, 30 million opinions, but there’s one mayor that’s going to make the decisions,” Adams replied.
Hizzoner also highlighted the NYPD’s recent efforts to seize illegal guns.
“We’ve moved 1,800 guns off the streets of our city since I’ve been elected. 1,800,” he told Cooper.
“And so we’re putting in place the foundation of dealing with the immediate needs of violence, but we’re also stopping the pipeline that causes children to get involved in violence.”