Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo focus on crime as race for New York City mayor heats up
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- As the New York City race for mayor heats up, one of the biggest issues among candidates is crime - despite statistics that show crime in the city is trending lower.
"Stop saying our city is in 'chaos and crisis!' It is not," said Mayor Eric Adams.
It's a line of attack that's clearly getting under the mayor's skin. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo insists that New York City is "out-of-control." He says it just about everywhere he goes.
"Your instincts, those New York instincts, tell you we're in trouble," Cuomo said. "The quality of life is deteriorating, so New Yorkers are in tough times."
Cuomo has proposed hiring 5,000 additional police officers, and a crackdown on e-bikes. In a campaign video, he portrays a city that's lost its way.
But crime in the city is trending lower and has been for months. In the first two months of this year, officers have seized more than 1,000 illegal guns.
The problem is not police manpower, the mayor says, it's bail reform signed into law by the former governor.
"What's frustrating for me is when I speak to a police officer who just made an arrest, he's finished up the paperwork, and all of a sudden you see the person he arrested back on the streets. That's frustrating," Adams said.
Adams might also find the latest poll frustrating. Overall, just 22% of New Yorkers have a favorable view of Mayor Adams to 55% whose view is unfavorable. It's 37% to 51% for Cuomo.
But it's Democrats who will decide the primary, and that's where it's different.
Democrats judge the mayor even more harshly. But 51% have a favorable view of Cuomo, compared to 39% who don't.
Cuomo picked up his third major union endorsement in three weeks. The latest one was from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf weighed in on Cuomo's path to election.
"This is not going to be an easy race. Ranked-choice voting makes it much more complicated," he said. "The issues have really not been formed yet and the attacks on Cuomo haven't even started."
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
