On December 30, 2025, as his term comes to an end, New York City Mayor Adams held a public safety achievements press conference at City Hall to highlight his administration’s efforts in combating gun violence and crime over the past four years. When asked how the incoming mayor should continue the fight against crime, Adams gave a succinct and clear suggestion: “Listen to Police Commissioner Tish.”
Since taking office in 2022, Adams pointed out that the New York City police have seized over 25,000 illegal firearms from the streets, including approximately 1,600 ghost guns. According to city data, during this period, there has been a 55% decrease in shootings and nearly a 36% reduction in homicides, making 2025 potentially the year with the lowest number of shootings in recorded New York history.
These achievements, as Adams emphasized, were not incidental but rather built upon a law enforcement strategy of being “data-driven and precision deployed,” which includes violence reduction initiatives in high-risk areas, gang databases, and ongoing efforts to remove illegal firearms from circulation.
“Public safety is not an experiment, you don’t need to start from scratch,” Adams said, advising the incoming mayor Mamdani to immediately immerse himself at the grassroots level on his first day in office: visiting precincts, attending roll calls with officers, entering the subway system, engaging in conversations with officers to understand the real challenges faced by frontline police dealing with severe mental health cases and violence risks in the subways.
Adams commended Police Commissioner Tish multiple times, praising the deployments made by her and the top brass of the department that brought public safety “to another level,” and openly stated that the new mayor should not overturn the existing public safety framework.
During the press conference, Adams not only endorsed the police department but also recognized the roles of 29 community organizations, presenting them with the “Keys to the City,” acknowledging them as “indispensable” in preventing retaliatory shootings.
When reporters asked Adams if he would attend the inauguration ceremony of the new mayor, he mentioned that if it was appropriate, he would attend, stating, “I don’t want anything to overshadow that day. It’s a historic moment that should be focused on a peaceful and smooth transition of power.”