New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Lori Lightfoot’s brutal loss in Chicago should be a warning, not just to Democratic Mayors but the entire country.
Adam, who campaigned on public safety issues and tackling rising crime, said that Lori Lightfoot’s loss shows people are waking up.
“I think it is a warning sign to the country. Eric Adams has been talking about public safety not only on the campaign trail, but for the next year,” the mayor said.
“I showed up at crime scenes. I knew what New Yorkers were saying. And I saw it all over the country. I think, if anything, it is really stating that this is what I have been talking about. America, we have to be safe,” he told CNN on Sunday.
Adams emphasized during his campaign how public safety was a fundamental necessity for American cities
“Mayors, we are closer. We’re closest to the problem. We are focused on public safety because people want to be safe,” he said.
Adams added that public safety in American cities is a ‘prerequisite to prosperity,’ adding that mayors should be able to work with law enforcement officials and community leaders to combat crime.
However, some Democrats argued that Adam’s rhetoric on crime hurts the party, and plays into the hands of Republicans.
But Adams responded to this criticism by highlighting the concerns of everyday working-class people.
“The polls were clear. New Yorkers felt unsafe, and the numbers showed that they were unsafe. If we want to ignore what the everyday public is stating, then that’s up to them. I’m on the subways. I walk the streets. I speak to everyday working-class people. And they were concerned about safety,” he said.
“We have a recidivism problem in New York and far too many people, there’s about 2,000 people who are repeatedly catch, release, repeat in crimes. If we don’t take them off our streets, they’re going to continue to prey on innocent people,” he added.
NYPD revealed a 5.6 percent drop in major crimes last month compared to the same last year
Last week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot scraped just 17 percent of the vote in the race for City Hall, forcing a run-off between Paul Vallas.
Lightfoot’s first term in office saw a massive spike in crime as she focused on ‘woke’ issues’ rather than dealing with issues affecting the people of Chicago.
“Lori has had her chance. Since Lori Lightfoot has been in office, it seems like crime has gotten worse,” 45-year-old Chicago resident Lonnell Jolly told the Associated Press.
Lightfoot’s Chicago recorded 723 murders in 2022.
READ MORE: Lori Lightfoot Accuses TIME Magazine of Racism for Not Featuring Her on Cover
