New York City's likely next mayor has criticized the state's governor for his gun violence 'disaster emergency', asking Andrew Cuomo: 'What took so long?'
Eric Adams, a 60-year-old former NYPD police captain, on Tuesday was confirmed as the winner of the Democratic primary, putting him on track to secure victory in the strongly-Democrat state at November's election.
He wasted no time in attacking Cuomo, also a Democrat, and used his first interview to condemn the veteran governor.
Asked for his response to Cuomo's gun violence plan, Adams replied: 'My first question is, what took so long? And why has it taken us so long, watching these babies die, year after year after year? No one seems to care.'
Eric Adams, who is on track to be elected mayor of New York City in November, on Wednesday morning said that Andrew Cuomo's gun violence reduction plan should have been ushered in earlier
Adams, 60, served as a captain in the NYPD and then entered politics, becoming Brooklyn borough president. Asked for his response to Cuomo's gun violence plan, he replied: 'My first question is, what took so long? And why has it taken us so long, watching these babies die, year after year after year?'
Adams campaigned on a ticket of improving law and order in the city, which is seeing soaring violence.
New York City has seen 765 shootings in the city so far this year, compared to 555 shootings during the same time last year.
Cuomo on Tuesday unveiled a $139 million seven-point plan, with emphasis on violence reduction initiatives, jobs and training for those at risk of getting swept up in gun crime, and making the gun manufacturers more accountable to victims' families.
New York became the first state in the nation to declare gun violence an emergency on Tuesday as Cuomo pointed the finger at the manufacturers of weapons as one of the main reasons behind the spate of shootings and killings that is at its highest level since the early 2000s.
Cuomo is finally taking action over the surging crime rate in the Big Apple and the rest of the state, by signing legislation allowing for a lawsuit to be brought in cases where 'reasonable controls and procedures are not in place'.
He also closed a loophole that allowed people with outstanding warrants for their arrest to purchase guns and said that they want to form a council aimed at gun-violence prevention.
However, critics have claimed it is 'political grandstanding' and that an increase in gun violence has been caused by 'soft-on-crime' policies such as the early release of prisoners, treating criminals 'like victims' and calls to defund the police.
Cuomo has long had a contentious relationship with the current mayor, Bill de Blasio, and in response to Adams' criticism blamed the incumbent.
