NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today outlined a future-focused vision for working-class New Yorkers in his third State of the City address, delivered at Hostos Community College’s Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture in the Bronx. After driving crime down and pushing job growth to historic highs — all while managing a once-in-a-generation asylum seeker humanitarian crisis — Mayor Adams outlined ambitious plans to continue to deliver for New York City across his priority areas that have been a part of his vision for New York City since day one: making the country’s safest big city even safer, building a forward-looking economy that works for working-class New Yorkers, and making the city more livable for all New Yorkers.

“When we came into office two years ago, we had a clear vision: protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make this city more livable,” said Mayor Adams. “Two years later, thanks to the hard work of this administration and millions of dedicated New Yorkers, the state of our city is strong — far stronger than it was when we came into office. New York City is becoming a place where everyone has the opportunity to make it, and the future-focused vision we laid out today will build on all that we have delivered for New Yorkers by investing in public safety, public spaces, and the working people who make New York City the greatest city in the world. While our city is still full of questions, history shows we can answer them and progress together when we work as one. The last two years have been a time of renewal and resetting — now, let’s make the future together.”

Making the Safest Big City in the Country Even Safer

New York City is the safest big city in the country. Mayor Adams entered City Hall with a mission to reduce crime and keep New Yorkers safe, and he has delivered on that commitment. Under Mayor Adams and New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Edward A. Caban’s leadership, overall crime is down in New York City. In 2023, the city saw a drop in five of the seven major crime categories, including a 12 percent decline in homicides and a 25 percent decrease in shooting incidents compared to the year prior. Additionally, the NYPD has taken more than 14,000 illegal guns off of New York City streets since the start of the Adams administration. Crime has fallen as a result of strong support for law enforcement as well as proactive strategies deployed by the administration, including plans to crack down on auto thefts, combat retail thefts, and launch a $500 million blueprint to keep communities safe from gun violence.