May 29, 2024
Lori Madden: Joining us live now is Mayor Eric Adams, who will be touching on some of the stories you've been hearing on 1010 WINS, 92.3 FM this afternoon. Mr. Mayor, thank you for joining us. We want to begin with a developing story in Canarsie, where police say a man driving a car deliberately tried to hit pedestrians. Now we know you're not on the scene, but to the extent that you can, do you have any information you can share with us about this?
Mayor Eric Adams: The team, sent over the video, is extremely disturbing. He first ran into a pole and then seemed to have potentially mounted the sidewalk. It's still under investigation. Some of the witnesses on the scene stated that he used antisemitic slurs in the process. He's determined at this time to appear to have been emotionally disturbed. Our team is going to further investigate. NYPD made a quick apprehension based on cooperation from the citizens in the area. As we have always stated, there's no room for hate in the city, and the Police Department is going to respond accordingly.
Madden: He was making antisemitic statements, again, for what you know, at the people he was trying to run down?
Mayor Adams: From the video, it appears as though the statements could have been made after attempting to run people down on the sidewalk. It's still unclear. We're going to let the investigation and have those who analyze the video to come with a full determination after we speak with the witnesses.
Madden: Okay, so it will be investigated as a hate crime, then?
Mayor Adams: Yes, as a possible hate crime based on the outcome of the investigation and those interviews.
Madden: Okay, let's turn to a completely different topic here, the lifeguard shortage at city pools and beaches. We know the rules have been changed in a bid to bring more lifeguards on board, but they still need to be tested, hired, and trained. Will there be enough lifeguards to keep all of the city's beaches and pools open this summer?
Mayor Adams: I'm glad you pointed out that they still have to be trained in CPR, first aid, rescue skills, and they must be strong swimmers. What we realized that after almost 40 years of just an outdated method and not in alignment with state and other municipalities, that it was just clear impediments preventing young men and women from becoming lifeguards.
We were able to get an arbitration ruling, and because of that, we are going to see what we believe in increasing our lifeguards. The shortage, we have over 200-something lifeguards now. There will be some beaches that are going to be impacted because the actual testing period has passed, but going forward in the years to come, we think we finally have received a resolution on this problem, but beaches will still be operating, our city pools will be open as well, and we look forward to people enjoying the beaches this summer.
Madden: You did just say a moment ago that beaches would be impacted. Are you talking about days or hours being changed or possibly beaches close to swimmers during some summer days?
Mayor Adams: Yes, a combination. Sue Donoghue, the Parks commissioner, is going to look at beach usage and just make sure we move around our lifeguards to make sure we can get a maximum amount of those who are going to be at our beaches, and then the New York City Police Department collaborating with Parks.
We're going to be using drones, as you know, to be used to get those swimmers who may be in distress without starting to use, to be able to drop those life rafts in the areas and use them for lost children on the beach. All of us have experienced that at one time or the other. So we're going to move around our manpower and make sure we maximize the coverage this summer.
Madden: Let's turn to casinos. You want a casino in the city, and that yesterday State Senator Jessica Ramos said her constituents overwhelmingly do not. Her constituents are your constituents in Queens. She is a key vote, and the project at Citi Field may not go forward. She is not on board. Why do you want this to go forward, or what will you do to continue your quest to have a casino in Queens, if not at Citi Field, elsewhere?
Mayor Adams: Yes, and that's very important, because I've never made it clear any one specific location. I would like to see a casino in the City of New York. I see a casino, as a former chair of Racing and Gaming, I realize that casinos bring good-paying union jobs. It is really a boost to tourism, and so there are many locations that are being looked at right now, and what my call is that one should be in New York City.
The Racino, which they do not have table games, out in Aqueduct, has been a real success for that area. The senator, Joe Addabbo, he talks about all the time the success of the Racino out there, and we believe this will be a boost to our economy, no matter what the location is. I think that, I don't know if the senator has really tapped into what the concerns of her residents are, but I'm sure people are excited about jobs in that area.
We've been successful with 2,500 units of affordable housing, a new soccer stadium, a new park space, schools. We want to continue to revitalize that area, but as long as I have a casino in the City of New York, I am fine.
Madden: Finally, Mr. Mayor, do you have an update for us on the Key to the City that was presented to Sean Diddy Combs? You said you were considering, or there was a process involved in possibly rescinding the key.
Mayor Adams: As I indicated earlier, after the horrendous video came out, it was disturbing to everyone, that we've never removed a key from anyone before. The committee that decided who received keys, they are convening, and they are going to come out and determine what the next steps are. We want to make sure that once we set precedent, that we do it correctly, but I have a lot of faith in the committee, and they will come and give me their recommendation.
Madden: It involves a committee. It's not just you saying, hey, give us the keys back. It is a symbolic gesture, right? It's not a law that you're rescinding, but it takes a committee. You can't just do this yourself, huh?
Mayor Adams: No, and the committee determines who should receive a key, and once you put a process in place, you don't want to make arbitrary decisions, because now we've set a precedent, and I want them to be smart in their decision, are you going to look and make a determination based on certain actions, based on if a person commits a crime.
So let's, we want to do it right, because that's the precedent that we're going to set in the future, but again, we all are disturbed by what we saw, and I have a lot of faith in the group that was put together to determine who receives a key, and I have faith that they're going to make the right decision in this case as well.
Madden: Okay. Thank you very much.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.
Madden: Thank you for joining us this afternoon on 1010 WINS, 92.3 FM.
