Top New York Democrats unite to counter soft-on-crime attacks from Republicans

NEW YORK — Three of New York’s most prominent Democrats sat shoulder-to-shoulder Monday to announce a gun violence prevention plan intended in part to blunt Republican critics who’ve portrayed the city as a crime-ridden hellscape.

“You can’t say you’re serious about fighting crime if you’re not serious about getting illegal guns off our streets,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a press conference at New York City Hall. “And that is the difference between red states and blue states and the statistics bear it out.”

Last year’s Democratic losses in New York — and Hochul’s own close call — have been blamed on the party’s apparent lack of vision on public safety. Republicans have vilified big-city and big-state Democrats as a part of the problem, saying their energy is spent on social issues when it should be focused on combating crime.

On Monday, Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and state Attorney General Tish James joined dozens of government officials and community leaders to unveil a 54-page blueprint from the city’s Gun Prevention Task Force.

The three repeatedly highlighted what they described as a novel — and necessary — partnership that unites the state’s leading Democrats, whose predecessors were often entangled in intraparty infighting.

The road map commits $485 million toward a multifaceted approach that includes resources for early intervention, housing and police relations. It focuses on six NYPD precincts with the highest rates of gun violence.

The mayor and others stressed New York City as the country’s “safest big city.” Administration officials touted a 27 percent decline in shootings as of last week compared with the same point last year. Officials also said the NYPD has removed more than 11,000 illegal guns from the streets since Adams took office in January 2022.

“It clearly shows that when people are saying, ‘Democrats are soft on crime,’ that’s just not the reality,” said Adams, a former NYPD captain who has staked his mayoralty on increasing public safety.

Adams said Republican lawmakers have been blocking gun safety legislation and funding efforts that include boosting police resources.

New York State Republican Party leaders scoffed at the idea that the Democrats’ priority is tackling crime.

“Kathy Hochul and Democrats have repeatedly made it clear to New Yorkers that keeping our streets safe is the least of their concerns,” state GOP communications director David Laska said in a statement. He blamed the governing party for recidivism through policies “encouraging rampant lawlessness throughout the state.”

Hochul last year was forced to revise her campaign approach when it appeared that her GOP opponent, former Rep. Lee Zeldin, was gaining because he focused on public safety while she advocated for abortion rights.

The Democrats’ path to retaking the House majority in 2024 could run through New York, the same state where four upsets last year in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island cost them the speaker’s gavel. And President Joe Biden’s reelection prospects could be improved if Democrat-controlled cities and states show public safety gains.

Adams, while not formally part of Biden’s campaign, could find that his fate influences that of the president.

The mayor said Monday that as the city drives down overall crime, it’ll be a good example to take on the road.

“I think it’s a mistake not to sell the good product that we have as Democrats,” he said.