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Mayor Eric Adams holds an in-person media availability. City Hall. Monday, December 9, 2024. -Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. By Mayor Eric Adams Queens Voice December 10, 2024   NEW YORK - Since day one, this administration has been committed to making New York City a safer, more affordable city. And we have fought to ensure that New Yorkers can pursue their dreams by improving quality of life.   New Yorkers have raised their concerns about public safety across the five boroughs — they asked for more cops on our streets and for us to address the issues that affect their livability. We listened and went to work. We have prioritized the safety issues that communities have raised with us and taken decisive action. We have hired 4,000 new cops this year alone and are taking on issues like illegal vending, retail theft, public substance use, the mental health crisis, scaffolding, and unlicensed cannabis shops. This week, we released our public ...

An MTA 1 train operator 1 pulls into the 50th Street station, Dec. 6, 2024. -Photo by Alex Krales/THE CITY Following alarming break-ins and attacks on conductors and operators, agency heads promised action at the beginning of the year — but there’s little to show for it.  This article originally appeared in The City.  By Jose Martinez Follow @x NEW YORK - Nearly a year after the MTA pledged to make quick fixes to prevent vandals from breaking into train crew cabs, subway cars on only three lines have upgraded locks on worker compartments, according to the agency. Agency numbers reveal that among the entire subway fleet of more than 6,400 train cars, only those that run on the 1, 3 and 6 lines have upgraded locks for train operator and conductor cabs. Meanwhile, lock upgrades for worker cabs on the troubled No. 7 are undergoing a “continued review” in the wake of recent incidents along the line, said Kayla Shults, an MTA spokesperson. ...

Cops Looking for the Man with the Golden Gun The NYPD is searching for a pair of gunmen who robbed an Astoria cellphone store. -Photo by NYPD By Dan Gesslein Queens Voice November 12, 2024 QUEENS - A pair of scooter riding gunmen shot a cellphone store worker during a robbery in Astoria, cops said. Investigators are hoping the robber’s golden handgun could lead to his arrest. At around 6:45 pm on November 8, a 40-year-old employee was working inside a cellphone store at 32-78 Steinway Street in Astoria. The store’s surveillance camera recorded the robbery.  At first a man wearing a bike helmet walked into the store and asked questions about items. When a second man walked into the store, the first pulled a gold semi-automatic handgun out of his pocket and racked it. The gunman turned and pointed the weapon at the clerk demanding cash. The second man ran up to the counter with his gun drawn.  Cops said there was a struggle with the employee and the robbers. T...

By Mayor Eric Adams Op-Ed  Queens Voice  November 4, 2024  NEW YORK - Recently, I was with community leaders and senior officials in our administration on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, which is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in our city. It is where New Yorkers from all over the world come to live, work, raise their families, and strive for the American Dream.  However, Roosevelt Avenue — a major thoroughfare with the 7 train running above it — has become a site of crime, disorder, and exploitation as illegal brothels, illicit vendors, and unlicensed food carts have taken over and quality-of-life offenses have skyrocketed.   It was not my first-time visiting the neighborhood. In January, I was there as we shut down 12 illegal brothels. And year to date, the NYPD has made over 3,000 arrests and issued over 9,500 summonses in the area. But we know arrests and summonses alone won’t get the job done, and that we must bring together partners from across governm...