In the first month of his term, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced his own “Blueprint to End Gun Violence,” which includes strategies like increasing the number of officers on patrol and expanding partnerships to work more closely with federal and state law enforcement. Rising gun violence has brought more attention to Adams’ plan and brought more urgency to high-profile meetings, like one with President Joe Biden.
Adams’ plan also brings back controversial anti-crime units under the new name “Neighborhood Safety Teams.” Public concern regarding previous iterations of these units stemmed from their involvement in the deaths of people like Amadou Diallo and Eric Garner. According to Adams’s blueprint, “Neighborhood Safety Teams” will be different, as “the city will hold listening tours in key neighborhoods, truly understanding the challenges of past anti-crime units.”
