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After woman murdered, New Yorkers blast Mayor Adams’ claim subways were safe despite ‘perception of fear’

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NEW YORK CITY, NY – New Yorkers blasted new Mayor Eric Adams following the death of a woman killed after being pushed onto the tracks this weekend, after he claimed the NY subway system was safe despite a “perception of fear.”

The criticism forced the Mayor to walk back comments made shortly after Michelle Alyssa Go, 40,  was killed when police allege 61-year-old Simon Martial pushed her onto the tracks.

Martial reportedly pushed Go in front of a southbound R train. Martial had an extensive criminal history dating back to the 1990s.

He was also wanted on an outstanding warrant when he attempted to push another woman onto the tracks before approaching Go.

Police suspect that the murder was a hate crime, as the victim was of Asian descent and Martial had a history of “emotionally disturbed encounters.” Martial faces second-degree murder in Saturday’s killing.

The killing followed other recent attacks in the subway system, which have resulted in alarm for New York residents and visitors.

In September, three transit workers were assaulted in a single day, and in May several riders were slashed and assaulted by a group of attackers. Four stabbings were also reported on the Subway within a few hours in February.

At a press conference Saturday afternoon, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said:

“This incident was unprovoked, and the victim does not appear to have had any interaction with the subject.”

Assistant Chief Jason Wilcox provided a disturbing description of the suspect’s encounter with the first woman he approached before shoving Go:

“He approaches her, and he gets in her space. She gets very, very alarmed. She tries to move away from him, and he gets close to her, and she feels that he was about to physically push her onto the train. As she’s walking away, she witnesses the crime where he pushes our other victim in front of the train.”

After woman murdered, New Yorkers blast Mayor Adams' claim subways were safe despite 'perception of fear'

Despite the terrifying information released during the press conference, Mayor Adams told reporters on Sunday that the subway system was safe, and that people had simply had a negative perception of the transit system:

“Transit police officers, they have done their job. What we must do is remove the perception of fear. Cases like this aggravate the perception of fear…

“What our battle is in the subway system is fighting the perception of fear that cases like this can happen.”

New Yorkers reacted quickly and loudly to the Mayor’s comments, saying they avoid the subway system because it is not safe.

The New York Post interviewed an Upper West Side lawyer identified as 31-year-old “Monica,” who said she spends about $500 a month on Uber rides because of the recent violence:

“The fear is real. When you hear incidents (where) women are being thrown onto the subway tracks, you’re scared.

“Eric Adams can say what he wants to promote ridership, but the fear is justified. He needs to do his job, not gaslight New Yorkers.”

Manhattan resident Sam Bennet, 33, told the news outlet:

“(Adams) sounds like a typical politician: big ideas and no legitimate plan. The subways are becoming more and more despicable.

“I’ll continue wasting money on Ubers. This whole situation is f—ked up.”

Faced with the backlash from residents and a crime rate surging more than 65% in his first two weeks in office, Mayor Adams backtracked on his comments on Tuesday. He said that as a former transit officer, he knows “the safety and how safety matters in our transportation system.”

He acknowledged the fear was real:

“It was extremely impactful for New Yorkers, losing a New Yorker in that fashion, and just really doubled down on our concerns that our system must be safe, must be safe from actual crime, which we are going to do.

“And it must be safe from those who feel as though there’s a total level of disorder in our subway system.”

New Yorkers are well aware of the crime surge happening around them.

An increase in robberies and grand larcenies in the transit system has headlined New York, even as city politicians moved to defund the NYPD in 2021. Last year, there were 58 serious crimes in the city during the first three weeks. In 2022, that number has increased to 96.

Every serious crime category other than murders and burglaries has increased this year. Police data shows that serious crimes have increased 35.2 percent as of Sunday compared to this time last year.

Gun violence is also on the rise. The city recorded 52 acts of gun violence thus far in January, compared to 45 for the same period last year.

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LET Unity

Under fire, New NYC mayor demotes his brother after giving him high-ranking, huge salary NYPD post

January 13, 2022

 

NEW YORK CITY, NY – Mayor Eric Adams has demoted his younger brother just days after appointing him to a high-ranking NYPD post, a move that sparked nepotism claims.

Mayor Adams on Friday named his younger brother as a deputy NYPD commissioner. The appointment was met with claims of cronyism.

Bernard Adams, a former NYPD sergeant who most recently served as assistant director for parking at Virginia Commonwealth University, was selected to man the post of  deputy commissioner, which typically pays just under a quarter of a million dollars a year, at about $240,000.

The mayor had claimed his brother was qualified for the appointment and would head up his security detail. He responded to complaints about the appointment during a CNN interview following the announcement:

“Well, we have something here in the city called [the] Conflict of Interest Board. They do rulings and waivers; it’s going through that process now.

They will make the determination and we have a great system here in the city.

“Let me be clear on this. My brother is qualified for the position, number one. He will be in charge of my security, which is extremely important to me in a time where we see an increase in white supremacy and hate crimes.”

Immediately after the announcement, criticism about the decision began to grow. One such opponent to the appointment was Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York.

She said that New York residents wanted public officials to be hired for their qualifications, not their relations:

“New Yorkers expect that public servants are hired based on their unique qualifications and not because they are the mayor’s brother.

“The appointment of the mayor’s close relative does not inspire public confidence.”

After initially defending the appointment, the mayor appears to have decided to follow a different course. His 56-year-old brother will now serve as Executive Director of Mayoral Security, according to police officials.

The new appointment falls lower in rank than the previous title, and his salary will fall approximately $30,000 to about $210,000 annually.

The compensation is in line with that of an NYPD inspector, the title of the previous head of the team tasked with the mayor’s security, the Executive Protection Unit, according to the New York Post. 

 

 

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About The Author

Scott A. Davis is a 28-year veteran of law enforcement. He served as a Police Sergeant and as a Detective in Pennsylvania. Scott retired from law enforcement in 2020. Prior to his law enforcement career, Scott was an award-winning journalist and recipient of two Keystone Press Awards.

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