( APPLAUSE )
WELCOME BACK!
HERE'S MUD IN YOUR EYE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS THE NEW
MAYOR-ELECT OF NEW YORK CITY.
PLEASE WELCOME ERIC ADAMS!
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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: I HOPE WE HAVE A LONG AND CONTINUED RELATIONSHIP
AS A NEW YORKER MYSELF, I WANT TO BE ON GOOD TERMS.
WITH THE GUY WHO IS GOING TO BE RUNNING THE JOINT.
CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: ON BEING MAYOR-ELECT.
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE MAYOR OF NEW YORK?
AT ONE POINT DID YOU SAY TO YOURSELF, "I WANT TO BE MAYOR OF
NEW YORK?" >> AN AMAZING NARRATIVE AND
JOURNEY THAT IT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, MANY YEARS AGO.
YOU KNOW, I WENT THROUGH A TERRIBLE PERIOD WITH POLICING.
I WAS ABUSED AS A CHILD.
POLICE OFFICERS ASSAULTED MY BROTHER AND I.
AND THEN LATER, I JOINED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM CIVIL
RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ASKED ME TO JOIN.
AND I SAW THE DISFUNCTIONALITY OF OUR AGENCIES, AND I SAID WE
CAN RUN A BETTER CITY.
24 YEARS AGO, NOW 25 YEARS AGO, I SPOKE TO THE DEPUTY MAYOR BILL
LYNCH, AND I SAID, "I WANT TO BE MAYOR."
HE SAID, THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, AND I'M HERE.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: WHEN YOU WON, YOU WENT OUT-- YOU WERE FOUND
CLUBBING AT A CLUB CALLED ZERO BOND, AND PEOPLE WERE A LITTLE
SURPRISED TO SEE THE MAYOR-ELECT OUT CLUBBING.
WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT THEY WERE SURPRISED?
>> FIRST OF ALL, -- >> Stephen: YOU ENJOY THE CLUB
SCENE.
>> THEY WERE INACCURATE.
THEY ARE INACCURATE.
I WENT TO ZERO BONDS, I WENT TO BROOKLYN SUGAR HILL.
THEY SAID ONLY ONE PLACE.
DON'T TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME.
I AM THE MAYOR.
THIS IS A CITY OF NIGHT LIFE.
I MUST TEST THE PRODUCT.
I HAVE TO BE OUT SHOWING-- I WANT NEW YORKERS TO COME BACK.
WE USED TO BE THE COOLEST PLACE ON THE GLOBE.
WE'RE SO DAMN BORING NOW, MAN.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO BE-- WE HAVE TO BE AMONG THE PEOPLE
ENJOYING LIFE.
I WANT THE CROSS-POLLINATION OF OUR ENERGY IN THE DIVERSITY OF
THIS CITY.
WE HAVE SOME BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN THE CITY.
SO I'M GOING TO BE OUT.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO HANG OUT WITH THE BOYS AT NIGHT, YOU HAVE TO
GET UP WITH THE MEN IN THE MORNING.
I'M UP AT 5:00 A.M. EVERY MORNING.
>> Stephen: WHAT MIGHT YOU DO DIFFERENTLY THAN OUR PRESENT
MAYOR, BILL de BLASIO, WHO DOES NOT ENJOY THE MOST
POPULARITY.
DO YOU THINK THAT-- CASE IN POINT--
( LAUGHTER )
LIKE, HOW WILL YOU BE DIFFERENT?
>> I'M GOING TO GET UP IN THE MORNING, YOU KNOW.
I'M ONLY PLAYING.
I'M UP AT 5:00 A.M., MEDITATION.
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> EXERCISE, GREEN SMOOTHIE.
I'M READY TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
>> Stephen: I'M NOT GOING TO-- I ACCEPT THAT YOU'RE IN BETTER
SHAPE THAN BILL de BLASIO.
HOW WILL THE CITY BE IN BETTER SHAPE?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A QUOTE THAT I REALLY WANT NEW
YORKERS AND AMERICANS TO UNDERSTAND.
ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUT SAID IT, WE SPEND A LIFETIME PULLING
PEOPLE OUT OF THE RIVER.
NOBODY GOES UPSTREAM AND PREVENTS THEM FROM FALLING IN,
IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WE TALK ABOUT CLOSING RIKER'S ISLAND.
I SAY CLOSE THE PIPELINE THAT FEEDS RIKERS ISLAND.
30% OF THE PRISONERS IN OUR COUNTRY ARE DYSLEXIC.
SO IF WE GO UPSTREAM, LET'S NOT PULL PEOPLE OUT OF THE RIVER.
LET'S GO UPSTREAM AND PREVENT THEM FROM FALLING IN, IN THE
FIRST PLACE.
WE CREATE THE CRISES, AND I'M GOING TO TAKE MY CITY UPSTREAM,
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE A MODEL ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY ON HOW TO
RUN CITIES.
( APPLAUSE )
BEFORE-- YOU MENTIONED BEFORE THAT YOU WERE IN THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
YOU WERE ONE OF NEW YORK'S FINEST FOR 22 YEARS, BECAME A
POLICE CAPTAIN.
OUR COUNTRY IS GRAPPLING WITH CALLS FOR AND RESISTANCE TO
POLICE REFORM IN VARIOUS PLACES AROUND THE UNITED STATES.
WHAT-- HOW WILL YOU APPROACH THAT?
HOW-- AS SOMEONE WHO, AS YOU SAID, WAS THE SUBJECT OR THE
OBJECT OF ABUSE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER AND ALSO LIVED THE
EXPERIENCE OF A POLICEMAN, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO APPROACH THIS
ISSUE?
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IN THE DEPARTMENT?
>> SO TRUE.
YOU KNOW, I'M A CHRISTIAN, AND I BELIEVE IN ESTHER FOUR AND 14--
GOD MADE ME FOR SUCH A TIME LIKE THIS.
TAKEN FROM MY POLICE EXPERIENCE OF BEINGA AS A CHILD THAT WAS
ABUSED, GOING INTO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UNDERSTANDING THAT
THE PREREQUISITE TO PROSPERITY IS PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE.
THEY GO TOGETHER.
I'M GOING TO TELL MY POLICE OFFICERS, I HAVE YOUR BACKS.
DO YOUR JOB.
DARN IT, IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NOBILITY OF PUBLIC
PROTECTION, YOU ARE GETTING OUT OF MY DEPARTMENT.
YOU WILL NOT USE THAT JOB TO ABUSE PEOPLE.
ABUSE IS REAL.
WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE ECOSYSTEM OF PUBLIC SAFETIES --
NOT JUST POLICE.
IT'S MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, YOUTH
ORGANIZATION, CLERGY LEADERS, CRISIS MANAGEMENT TEAMS.
WE HAVE TO REDEFINE POLICING AND WHAT IT MEANS IN OUR COUNTRY AND
IN OUR CITY.
AND I'M GOING TO GET IT RIGHT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE HEAVY HANDED.
WE'RE GOING TO SHOW HOW WE CAN HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH--
BETWEEN POLICE AND COMMUNITY.
I KNOW WE CAN DO IT.
WE'RE GOING TO GET IT RIGHT.
( APPLAUSE )
YOU'RE RIGHT.
I CERTAINLY HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT.
THERE ARE KNOW-- WE HEAR STORIES OF LOW MORAL WITHIN THE N.Y.P.D.
IS THAT TRUE?
AND IF SO, DO YOU THINK IT STEMS FROM?
>> WELL, IT IS, IT'S TRUE.
AND I THINK THAT FOR FAR TOO LONG WE BUILD THIS DIVIDE
BETWEEN POLICE AND COMMUNITIES.
LISTEN, WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THAT SUBWAY STATION LATE AT
NIGHT, UP TO THE SEE THAT POLICE OFFICER THERE, BUT YOU WANT HIM
TO TREAT YOU ARE OF WITH THE RESPECT AND DIGNITY THAT YOU
DESERVE.
WE HAVE TO BE SAFE.
DON'T LET ANYONE FOOL YOU.
IF WE'RE NOT SAFE, THAT'S THE FOUNDATION OF HOW WE LIVE, BUT
WE CAN DO IT WITHOUT BEING ABUSIVE.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO STOP FEEDING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROBLEM.
DO YOU KNOW THAT FOSTER CARE CHILDREN AGE UP ON THE OF FOSTER
CARE AT 21 YEARS OLD?
ONLY 21% GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
3% ENROLL IN COLLEGE.
THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO BE UNEMPLOYED, MORE LIKELY TO HAVE
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, MORE LIKELY TO BE VICTIMS OF CRIMES.
WHY DON'T WE LET THEM AGE OUT AT 26, GIVE THEM LIFE CULTURE.
I SAT DOWN WITH GANG MEMBERS FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS
AND TALKED WITH THEM.
I WAS BLOWN AWAY WITH HOW MANY OF THEM WERE DYSLEXIC AND HAD
LEARNING DISABILITIES.
THE REAL CRIME IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS IN 42nd STREET.
IT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DEPADEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
THAT'S THE CRIME.
WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT, NOT ONLY LOOKING AT THOSE CHILDREN
WHO ARE COMMITTING CRIMES ON OUR STREETS.
( APPLAUSE )
WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
BUT DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
WHEN WE COME BACK, I WILL ASK MAYOR-ELECT ERIC ADAMS WHAT KIND
OF DEMOCRAT HE'S GOING TO BE, A.O.C., OR JOE MANCHIN?
STICK AROUND.
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