Transcript: Mayor Mamdani Joins NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch and New York Governor Kathy Hochul for a Public Safety-Related Announcement
Zohran Mamdani on NYC Mayor's Office transcripts.
Passages
Good morning, everyone. It is a pleasure to start the day here in Mott Haven. Before I begin, I want to acknowledge my partner in government, Governor Kathy Hochul. We have our New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch. We have our Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, our City Council Member Amanda Farías, our Assistant Chief Benjamin Gurley of the NYPD Bronx Patrol North, our Assistant Chief Brian Hennessy of NYPD Bronx Patrol South. I want to thank every single one of you for all that you do for our city and for all that you do for the people who call this city their home. The sun is out, the sky is blue, Memorial Day weekend is around the corner. Summer may not be all the way here, but it is close. For so many New Yorkers, especially young New Yorkers, this is one of the most exciting times of the year. And yet, for many parents, educators, members of law enforcement and others across our city, the prospect of summer also carries with it the heightened risk of violence, pain, and loss. Make no mistake, across New York City, crime is down. The NYPD has taken more than 1,840 guns off of our streets since January 1 alone. We've reported record lows for murders, shootings and robberies. And yet, while our city is safer than ever, we know that once temperatures rise, so too do rates of violence. And we know Memorial Day weekend has historically seen crime spikes year after year. But just because the statistics tell a story, just because the data predicts what will happen next, doesn't mean we have to surrender ourselves to it. Violence does not have to be inevitable. New Yorkers do not have to be afraid to go outside, to walk the streets, to enjoy the warmth. So, this morning I want to do two things. I want to first speak directly to both young New Yorkers and I want to share with this city what we are doing to keep people safe. First, to young New Yorkers, we are pursuing a whole-of-government approach to engage you through a variety of programs and to make summer one that is both fun and of growth possible. There are opportunities available to join basketball leagues, to participate in Saturday Night Light sports programs, to find dance and music and arts programs, to participate in youth leadership groups. The list goes on, and for young people eager to make a little extra money or kickstart their careers, the city is also here to help. Whether it's through SYEP, community-based work placements, internships or other opportunities, there are countless ways for this summer to also be one that's deeply productive. I also want to encourage community members to take an active role in looking out for those they care about as the weather warms up. Many young New Yorkers just need someone to talk to, someone who notices that they're struggling and can offer them the piece of advice they need to hear, guiding them a way out of it. The city will also do our part to lower crime and continue to increase safety. We are implementing two measures to do just that. First, for the first time in our city's history, we are dividing the Bronx into two patrol boroughs: Bronx North and Bronx South. By splitting the Bronx into two patrol boroughs, we will bring nearly 200 additional officers to the borough and expand the specialized units available to respond to Bronxites' needs. This is about providing the Bronx with the same standards that Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan already have, and about bringing a real commitment to lowering crime in this borough. We've already made tremendous progress here in the Bronx in terms of bringing down crime. No borough saw a larger decline in major crime for the month of April, down more than 15 percent last month and 11 percent since the start of the year. This year, auto theft is down, shootings are down, murders are down. We will build on that progress not by surrendering our momentum, but by pursuing the proven solutions that we know to work. Second, we are increasing uniformed officer presence in some of the highest crime parts of the city at some of the highest crime parts of the day. More than 2,600 uniformed officers will walk the beat in 72 zones across the five boroughs at night and in the early morning — times when we know violence tends to spike. This is a comprehensive, across-the-board strategy to continue building on the success our city has achieved in lowering crime over the past five and a half months. It is my sincere hope that in a few months, once temperatures begin to cool down once again, once students are back in school, we will measure our success, not through statistics, but in classrooms and dinner tables without empty seats, in SYEP programs and summer sports leagues that never felt more full, in a summer that was hot, that was fun, and that was safe. Thank you. And now it's my pleasure to invite our governor, Kathy Hochul, to share a few words.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the sourceSo, Marcia, if I'm correct, it's a question around the hope and aspiration around summer violence. Is that correct? I'm proud to stand here alongside leaders not only across the state, the city, the borough [and] the district, [but] all of us [are] united in the fact that we want to build on what we've seen over the course of this year. We're proud of the record lows, whether it's in murders or shootings, the drop in auto theft, [or] the drop in crime overall. We also want to build on that, to continue to deliver the safest possible city and the safest possible summer. And so, part of this investment, is an investment that has been a long time coming in ensuring that the Bronx is treated the same as Queens and Manhattan and Brooklyn. Part of this is also geared with this summer in mind. We want to have more officers that are walking the beat. We want to ensure that we're investing in our young people in the kinds of programs that we put forward. We want this summer to be, as the governor mentioned, a summer where people remember the World Cup, Sail250, America 250 [and] the Knicks run right now. We want these to be the memories. And as part of that, it means putting in these kinds of investments. So, our hope is that this is a fun summer. It's maybe slightly a less hot summer than today. I feel like I'm going to dissolve in front of you. And that it's going to be a safe summer. That's our hope.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source
Every passage above is taken from this recording: NYC Mayor's Office transcripts, Transcript: Mayor Mamdani Joins NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch and New York Governor Kathy Hochul for a Public Safety-Related Announcement.