1,000 illegal guns seized: Mayor Adams declares NYC the "safest big city in America"

File Source: NYC.gov

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a major milestone in public safety, revealing that more than 1,000 illegal firearms have been removed from city streets since the start of 2025. Speaking from the 75th Precinct, a historically high-crime area, Adams credited the NYPD’s aggressive enforcement strategy for the city’s declining gun violence and crime rates.

“These guns are real symbols. They’re symbols of the devastation,” Adams said. Reflecting on his early days in office, he recalled a heartbreaking visit to the hospital where an 11-month-old baby had been shot in the head. “We put plans in place to address this issue, and we know that we can bring down violence because we have done it over and over again.”

The NYPD’s efforts have led to a 14.5% decrease in shootings compared to the same period last year, marking the lowest level of gun violence in over 30 years. Adams emphasized that this success was the result of a combined effort between law enforcement and community activists. “It is more than just those men and women who wear the blue uniform; it’s those who wear blue suits and blue jeans. It’s everyday people collaborating with us.”

Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry reinforced the administration’s commitment to tackling crime at its roots, stating, “As the mayor often says, there are many rivers that feed the sea of violence, and we are damming them one by one.”

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch highlighted the NYPD’s relentless pursuit of illegal firearms, noting that among the 1,000 guns seized in the past nine weeks, 40 were ghost guns—untraceable weapons assembled to evade law enforcement. Even more alarming, she said, were the increasing recoveries of rapid-fire modification devices that turn handguns into high-capacity automatic weapons.

“These devices have no place in our communities, and our officers are seizing them before they can cause devastation,” Tisch said. She pointed to a January 13th shooting in Manhattan North tied to drill rap, where quick police deployment led to the arrest of eight individuals and the seizure of five firearms.

Jackie Rowe-Adams, founder of Harlem Mothers and Fathers S.A.V.E., a longtime advocate against gun violence, commended Adams for his dedication. “If it wasn’t for Mayor Adams, today we wouldn’t be standing here with all of these guns,” she said. “Years ago, I couldn’t say crime was down. Now I can.”

Adams, a former NYPD officer, has long prioritized gun violence prevention, recalling a moment in 2006 when, as president of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, he helped shut down two Harlem bodegas selling illegal firearms. “He ain’t just start this,” Rowe-Adams said. “He’s the only mayor I know who was getting guns off the street before he was even mayor.”

Despite the success, Adams pushed back against critics who claim the city is in crisis. “Stop saying our city is in chaos and crisis. It is not. The numbers don’t lie—your noise lies,” he said, emphasizing that crime in public housing has also declined 13% and transit crime is down 15.1%.

Looking ahead, the mayor vowed to keep crime down as the city approaches the summer months, traditionally a period of increased violence. “We’re moving into the summer months—everyone knows what happens during the summer. We didn’t see that increase last year, and it’s not going to happen again.”

With over 20,500 guns seized since the start of his administration and three consecutive years of declining homicides and shootings, Adams reaffirmed his vision: “We are the safest big city in America, and soon, we will be the safest city in America.”