New Yorker's Voice Frustration with Mayor Adams

New York City residents are growing frustrated with Mayor Eric Adams, pointing to unresolved problems and unfulfilled promises.

New Yorkers voiced concerns about a noticeable decline in quality of life over the past four years. From rising homelessness to subway safety, the city’s most pressing problems seem to be worsening, leaving residents questioning whether their concerns are truly being addressed.

The Adams administration’s approach to policing, budget cuts, and shifting policies have made him increasingly unpopular and has left many feeling that he has failed to produce meaningful improvements. 

Many New Yorkers voiced concerns about growing safety issues despite Adams’ previous efforts to address them. One New York City resident said, “Sometimes I think that the police could do a little more… sometimes they are just sitting there waiting for turnstile tickets when they should probably be on the platforms, actually watching out for people that could be a danger to others.”

The mayor's efforts to address safety have included expanding the New York Police Department’s presence in the subway system and increasing stop-and-frisk tactics. However, many residents argue that these measures have not made them feel safer. Instead, complaints about erratic subway service, violent incidents, and fare hikes continue to rise.

Several people interviewed associated their frustration of the mayor with broader national politics. They linked his recent absence, corruption, and lack of solutions with his proximity to  President Trump and what they see as chaos emerging from the Trump administration.

Expressing his anger, one man said the next mayor must “address right wing as a movement. The manipulation and the corruption of the new mayor would have to be very sharp to deal with mafia-style politics.”

Another man we spoke to was alarmed by the Trump administration’s deportations of foreign students. “The world’s turned upside down,” he said, adding that the government is “grabbing people off the streets for speaking out.”

Among those interviewed, the prevailing sentiment was one of instability and chaos, both in Gracie Mansion and the White House, with no solutions in sight.