>> HER SHOULDERS ARE WEARY,
WEARY, WEARY.
>>> ALL RIGHT.
SO WE'VE SEEN ONE SENSELESS
KILLING AFTER ANOTHER, ONE
TRAGEDY AFTER ANOTHER.
A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, YOU HELD A
PRESS CONFERENCE.
I THINK A YOUNG, 15-YEAR-OLD BOY
WAS SHOT AND YOU WERE LIKE, HOW
LONG?
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES
OF -- I KNOW YOU ARE ONLY 100
DAYS IN, BUT WHAT ARE SOME OF
THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES RIGHT NOW
TO MAKING THE CITY SAFER, MAKING
THE SUBWAY SAFE AGAIN?
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR BIGGEST
CHALLENGES?
>> WELL, THE YOUNG MAN WAS 12.
>> 12, OH.
>> AND SITTING IN THE LIVING
ROOM WITH THE FAMILY.
I WISH WE COULD HAVE HAD THE
ENTIRE CITY AND COUNTRY HEAR
THAT MOTHER TALK ABOUT THE LOSS
OF HER SON.
I HAVE HEARD IT FAR TOO OFTEN.
LET'S BE CLEAR, THESE PROBLEMS
ARE DECADES IN THE MAKING.
I SAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN USING
THE ANALOGY, THERE ARE MANY
RIVERS THAT ARE FEEDING THE SEA
OF VIOLENCE IN OUR CITY AND IN
OUR COUNTRY.
WE HAVE TO DAM EACH RIVER, AND
WE ARE DOING OUR JOB IN THE NEW
YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE TOOK OVER 1,000 GUNS OFF THE
STREET THIS YEAR.
ALMOST TEN A DAY.
YOU SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN
CHICAGO.
LAST YEAR THEY TOOK OVER 12,000
GUNS OFF THE STREET, SO IT IS A
COMBINATION OF INTERVENTION AND
PREVENTION THAT I TALK ABOUT ALL
THE TIME.
WE ARE DOING OUR JOBS ON THE
GROUND.
OUR OFFICERS, MY ANTI-GUN UNIT
TOOK -- MADE 130-SOMETHING
ARRESTS, AND THE TROUBLING PART
IS MANY ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO OUR JOB
BUT WE NEED HELP.
WE NEED HELP FROM WASHINGTON,
D.C., WE NEED HELP FROM ALBANY
AND WE NEED TO GET THE OFFICERS
THE SUPPORT ON THE GROUND.
>> I WANT TO ASK, MR. MAYOR, ONE
OF THE INTERESTING AND TRAGIC
THINGS HAPPENING IN THE COUNTRY
RIGHT NOW IS YOU SEE CRIME IS UP
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, NOT JUST IN
NEW YORK WHERE THERE'S BEEN SO
MUCH DISCUSSION OF THE BAIL LAW.
WE ACTUALLY AS A COUNTRY DON'T
EVEN FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CAUSES
OF CRIME, WHICH IS WHY YOU SAY
THERE ARE MANY RIVERS THAT FEED
IT AND THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
I KNOW YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT
SUMMER JOBS PROGRAMS, BUT REALLY
BEYOND THAT WHAT DOES YOUR
ADMINISTRATION PLAN TO DO ABOUT
THE OTHER POTENTIAL CAUSES OF
DISRUPTION FEEDING THIS
VIOLENCE, WHICH CLEARLY HAS
COINCIDED WITH THE PANDEMIC MORE
THAN ANY ONE LAW OR POLICY
CHANGE?
>> SO TRUE.
WE WITNESSED BEFORE THE INCREASE
IN CRIME ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND
THE SOLUTION STARTED IN
NEW YORK.
WE STARTED THE PROCESS OF
TURNING AROUND THE LACK OF
SAFETY NATIONALLY.
WE ARE GOING TO DO IT AGAIN.
YOU ARE RIGHT, NUMBER ONE, WHEN
WE PUT IN PLACE OUR DYSLEXIA
SCREENING.
IT IS UNBELIEVABLE 30% OF
INMATES IN OUR COUNTRY ARE
DYSLEXIC.
WE HAVE ONE HIGH SCHOOL ON
STATEN ISLAND TO DEAL WITH
DYSLEXIA, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
WE HAVE IT ACROSS THE BOROUGHS.
EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE FEEDERS,
WE FAIL 55% OF BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN WHO NEVER REACH
CHILDREN WHO NEVER REACH
PROFICIENCY IN THE CITY.
WHEN YOU START HAVING THIS IT
FEEDS THESE CRIME.
WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE PUT HUMAN
WASTE IN SOMEONE'S FACE, ATTACK
SOMEONE WITH A HAMMER, YOU ARE
SEEING THE OUTCOME OF THE
FAILURE OF HOW WE TREATED PEOPLE
DURING THE PANDEMIC AND WE ARE
SEEING THE RESULTS OF THAT.
BUT I'M NOT STATING THAT BECAUSE
WE'RE NOT GETTING THE HELP IN
ALBANY OR IF WE DON'T GET HELP
IN ALBANY OR WASHINGTON THAT WE
DON'T HAVE THE OBLIGATION, THE
RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE OUR CITY
SAFE.
IT MATTERS MORE THAN THE BELL.
PEOPLE USE THE BELL AND IT IS
NOT.
IS THERE AN INCOME TAX CREDIT?
I NEED VICTORY THERE.
I NEED TO MAKE SURE MOTHERS CAN
HAVE CHILD CARE SO THEY CAN
RETURN TO WORK TO GET OUR
ECONOMY BACK UP AND OPERATING.
SO IT IS MORE THAN JUST ONE PART
OF MY BLUEPRINT TO END GUN
VIOLENCE.
IT IS A HOLISTIC APPROACH SO WE
CAN GET IT RIGHT.
>> YOU MENTIONED, MYRRH MAYOR,
AGAIN
THE FRUSTRATION OF POLICE
OFFICERS WITH THE BAIL LAW PUT
IN PLACE IN 2019 WHICH WAIVED
CASH BAIL FOR SOME NONVIOLENT
OFFENSES.
IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE STATE
BUDGET THERE WILL BE CHANGES TO
THAT LAW.
WHAT WILL IT MEAN PRACTICALLY?
WILL IT BE HELPFUL TO YOUR
OFFICERS, WILL IT BE HELPFUL TO
YOU?
>> IT IS ABOUT REBUILDING THE
TRUST.
WE SENT A MIXED MESSAGE TO
POLICE OFFICERS WHILE THEY WERE
DOING THEIR JOB.
AFTER MAKE PING ARREST WE WERE
UNWILLING TO PROSECUTE CASES.
WE HAD A BOTTLENECK COURT SYSTEM
WHERE TOO MANY DANGEROUS PEOPLE
WERE NOT HAVING THEIR DAY IN
COURT.
WHAT WE MUST LOOK AT, THE
VARIOUS AREAS OF THESE LAWS. NUMBER ONE, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO
NUMBER ONE, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO
ENCOURAGE ADULTS GIVEN JUVENILE
GUNS.
THERE'S A CLIMATE ON THE STREET
THAT CARRYING A GUN IS NO LONGER
AN ILLEGAL ACT AND WE HAVE TO
STOP THAT.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE DISCOVERY
PROCESS.
I'M HOPING THAT THEY EXAMINE THE
DISCOVERY PROCESS.
SOMETHING MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
BUT IT IS A MAJOR IMPACT FOR
DISTRICT ATTORNEYS TO PRODUCE
THE EVIDENCE AND TURN IT OVER IN
A TIMELY MANNER.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT REPEAT OWE
OFFENDERS.
THERE'S ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF
PEOPLE DRIVING CRIME IN OUR CITY
AND IN COUNTRY.
THEY'RE REPEAT OFFENDERS AND IF
WE DON'T ZERO IN ON THEM YOU
WILL CONSTANTLY SEE THE PROBLEM.
>> YOU SUPPORT A CHANGE TO THE
BAIL LAW TO KEEP THAT KIND OF
PERSON OFF THE STREET?
>> YES.
I BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE A
STANDARD IN THE BAIL LAW, BUT WE
NEED TO LOOK AT THE OTHER AREAS
CLEARLY, TOO.
>> REV, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A
BALANCE WHETHER YOU ARE TALKING
ABOUT THE PLAIN CLOTHES UNIT,
WHETHER YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE BAIL LAW.
THE BAIL LAW.
THE MAYOR IS TRYING TO GO
FURTHER THAN SOME CITY COUNCIL
PEOPLE WOULD LIKE HIM TO GO.
HOW IS THE BALANCE WORKING?
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE BALANCE
WHEN BEING AGGRESSIVE, WHEN
TALKING ABOUT MAKING NEW YORK
CITY STREETS SAFE BUT AT THE
SAME TIME OBVIOUSLY PUSHING
REFORM WITH POLICE OFFICERS,
WITH THE FORCE AND BEING
CONCERNED ABOUT ALSO SOCIAL
ISSUES.
>> YOU KNOW, HE ADDRESSED THAT
YESTERDAY AT NATIONAL ACTION
NETWORK BECAUSE MANY OF US AGREE
THAT WE CANNOT GO BACK TO WHAT
WE FACED UNDER THE ERA OF STOP
AND FRISK AND BROKEN WINDOWS.
AND AS I STATED, A BROKEN TRUST.
BUT I THINK THAT THE DIFFERENCE
HERE IS THAT THIS MAYOR HAS BEEN
A POLICEMAN AND A VICTIM OF
POLICE BRUTALITY SO HE
UNDERSTANDS BOTH.
HE WAS BRUTALIZED AS A
YOUNGSTER, AS A BLACK COMING UP
IN NEW YORK, AND HE WAS A
POLICEMAN AND WAS SHUNNED BY
SOME ELEMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY
FOR BEING A POLICEMAN UNTIL HE
PROVED HIMSELF THAT I'M GOING TO
BE A DIFFERENT KIND OF COP AND
FIGHT FOR THAT.
I THINK THE THING I MOST RESENT
IS THAT IT IS ALMOST LIKE WE
ACCEPT THAT BLACKS AND BROWNS
ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH CRIMINALS
AND THAT WE DON'T OPPOSE CRIME.
IT IS HOW WE DO IT AND HOW WE
REIMAGINE IT.
I THINK THAT THAT'S THE NEEDLE
THAT HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO
THREAD, AND I THINK HE CANNOT DO
IT WITHOUT PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES.
THE MAYOR AND I TALK AND I SAY,
I GOT QUESTIONS.
HE SAYS, LET'S MEET.
I SAID SOME OF THE CIVIL
LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS.
HE SAID, LET'S MEET.
YOU KNOW ME.
35 YEARS I'VE BEEN ON THIS SIDE
BUT SOME THINGS WE HAVE TO DO.
HE, I WILL NEVER FORGET, THREE
WEEKS AFTER I DID THE EULOGY OF
GEORGE FLOYD, A VICTIM OF POLICE
BRUTALITY, I CAME BACK TO
BROOKLYN AND PREACHED THE
FUNERAL OF A 1-YEAR-OLD KID
KILLED IN STREET VIOLENCE.
HOW DO I MOURN ONE AND NOT THE
OTHER.
>> WHAT YOU HEAR PEOPLE SAY, WE
CAN'T GO BACK TO THE
HEAVY-HANDED POLICING, BUT WE
ALSO CAN'T GO BACK TO 2,000
HOMICIDES A YEAR.
>> CORRECT.
>> 98,000 ROBBERIES AND 98,000
FELONIOUS ASSAULTS.
IT IS COMFORTABLE IN SOME
CIRCLES TO SAY WE CAN'T GO BACK
TO HEAVY-HANDED POLICING BUT
THEY DON'T FINISH THE SENTENCE.
I'M NOT GOING BACK TO SEEING THE
CITY MOTHERS MOURN 12-YEAR-OLD
BABIES.
I'M NOT GOING BACK TO A CITY
WITH HEAVY-HANDED POLICING BUT
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE CRIME HAS
NOT BECOME A NORM.
IT HAS BECOME A NORM BECAUSE OF
GENERATIONAL, REALLY BETRAYALS
IN OUR CITY AND WE'RE GOING TO
TACKLE THAT.
>> I HAVE TO SAY I COVERED THREE
MAYORS AND WHEN I HEAR YOU TALK
ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, BOTH TO
KEEP CRIME DOWN BUT ALSO TO HOLD
ACCOUNTABLE THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, IT IS ENCOURAGING.
BUT WHAT I AM PERSONALLY HOPING
TO SEE FROM YOU IS THE REFORMS
YOU PLAN TO PUT IN PLACE WITHIN
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DO THAT
AND THE KIND OF TRANSFORMATIONAL
CHANGE THAT YOU HAVE TALKED
ABOUT BECAUSE YOU WILL ONE DAY
NO LONGER BE MAYOR AND THIS
POLICE DEPARTMENT, AS YOU KNOW,
NEEDS ENORMOUS CHANGES IN
LEADERSHIP.
>> YOU KNOW, JUST REMAINING PIB
LICKAL.
I AM NOT THE CHOIR, I WROTE THE
SONG.
I AGREE WITH YOU.
I KNOW THE PROBLEMS IN THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE SYSTEMIC, THEY'RE REAL.
BUT I KNOW THERE ARE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO WEAR THAT UNIFORM AND
THEY PUT THEMSELVES IN HARM'S
WAY EVERY DAY.
WHEN I SEND THEM OUT THERE TO DO
A JOB, I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE
THEM OUT THERE.
I'M GOING TO LEAD THEM FROM THE
FRONT.
WE NEED TO WEED OUT THE
BAD-ACTING POLICE OFFICERS BUT
WE ALSO NEED TO UPLIFT THE
OFFICERS THAT GO BEYOND THE CALL
OF DUTY.
>> RIGHT.
>> IT IS A DIFFICULT CHALLENGE
TO RUN INTO A BUILDING THAT
SOMEONE IS DISCHARGING A GUN.
THAT'S A FRIGHTENING THING.
LOOK AT OFFICERS MORA AND
RIVERA.
THESE ARE TWO YOUNG OFFICERS WHO
WERE HEROES, WHO ARE NOT COMING
HOME.
A MOTHER DOESN'T MOURN
DIFFERENTLY IF THEY LOSE THEIR
CHILD, A DAD DOESN'T MOURN
DIFFERENTLY IF THEY LOSE THEIR
CHILD BECAUSE OF A GANG BANGER
OR A POLICE OFFICER.
WE NEED TO STOP THE VIOLENCE
AGAINST INNOCENT PEOPLE.
>> LET'S CONTINUE THIS.
JUMP IN, IF YOU WILL, BECAUSE WE
OBVIOUSLY HAVE TWO ISSUES HERE.
WE HAVE A RISE IN CRIME.
WE HAVE POLICE OFFICERS WHO HAVE
SAID SINCE 2020, NOT ONLY IN NEW
YORK CITY BUT ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, POLITICIANS DON'T HAVE
OUR BACK, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE
AS AGGRESSIVE, WE'RE NOT GOING
INTO CERTAIN AREAS IF WE'RE
GOING TO GO IN AND MAYBE ACT IN
A CHAOTIC SITUATION AND END UP
IN JAIL.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, MORAARA
TALKING ABOUT THE POLICE REFARM.
HOW DO YOU IMPLEMENT THE
DRAMATIC REFORMS BEING TALKED
ABOUT BUT I CAN'T SAY THIS
ENOUGH, I KEEP HEARING FROM COPS
EVERYWHERE, AT THE SAME TIME
GOOD COPS KNOW YOU HAVE THEIR
BACK.
THAT WHEN THEY PUT THEIR KIDS TO
SLEEP AT 8:00, KISS THEM ON THE
FOREHEADS, SAY GOOD NIGHT TO
THEIR, YOU KNOW, HUSBAND OR WIFE
AND THEY GO INTO THE STREETS AND
MAY NOT COME BACK THE NEXT
MORNING, THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN
DO THEIR JOB AND YOU HAVE THEIR
BACK IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG AS
LONG AS THEY PLAY BY THE RULES.
>> WELL SAID.
THE FIRST WAY TO DO THAT IS YOU
HIRE A MAYOR THAT NEEDED PEOPLE
TO HAVE THEIR BACKS.
>> WE DID THAT.
>> BECAUSE THEY WORE THAT
UNIFORM.
SECOND, YOU HIRE A MAYOR THAT
SPENT HIS ENTIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT
CAREER FIGHTING FOR THE REFORMS.
THE REFORMS THAT PEOPLE ARE
TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW ARE MY
REFORMS.
THESE ARE THE REFORMS THAT I
INTRODUCED.
AND SO WHAT I'M SAYING TO
PEOPLE, YOU NEEDED ME THEN TO