New York City mayor Eric Adams (D.) downplayed residents' fears about crime in the city, blaming the media for its coverage.
"They start their day picking up the news, the morning papers … and they see some of the most horrific events that may happen throughout the previous day," Adams told Fox 5 New York on Wednesday. He added that the coverage "plays on your psyche."
Adams was responding to a Siena College poll that found 41 percent of New York State residents have never felt as concerned about their safety as they do now. The vast majority, 87 percent, said crime is a very or somewhat serious problem in the city and state.
"We know it’s going to take time," Adams said. "But if you lead off every day with some of the horrific incidents that take place in the city with 8.5 million people, there’s a feeling that you have."
Even Alvin Bragg, the city's progressive district attorney, admitted this week he is fearful of crime on the subway. "I know the statistics that transit crime is down, but when one of my family members gets on the train, I, too, get a knot in my stomach," he said.
Amid the crime worries, the New York Police Department is struggling. A report from March showed New York City police officers are resigning in record numbers. The NYPD at the same time lowered its fitness requirements to bring more women on the force.