NEW YORK — As New York City reels from a series of shocking crimes, Mayor Eric Adams says he may hire more police officers.
“If we need to hire more, darn it, we’re going to hire more, and nothing is going to get in the way of that,” he told WABC in an interview that aired Sunday.
The Democratic mayor said before taking that step, he’ll analyze “how we are deploying what we have” and assign officers “sitting behind the desk” to patrol duty.
Since Adams took office at the start of the month, the city has seen five police officers shot — two of them fatally — and horrifying acts of violence like the Jan. 15 killing of Michelle Go, who was pushed to her death at the Times Square subway station.
President Joe Biden is set to visit Manhattan on Thursday to discuss gun violence policy with Adams.
“He gets it,” the mayor said of the president. “I believe with his help, we’re going to stop the flow of guns.”
Last week, Adams unveiled his strategy to end gun violence. Measures include bringing back a controversial plainclothes unit of the NYPD, a step he promised on the campaign trail last year.
He also called on state lawmakers to scale back reforms removing bail for a range of crimes, and proposed increased cooperation with federal and state authorities.
Thursday’s meeting will focus on the Biden administration’s “comprehensive strategy to combat gun crime,” the White House said last week.
———
