Fox News host Bill Hemmer pressed a local Black Lives Matter leader Monday on Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ response to the city’s crime spike.
Hawk Newsome previously called for “riots, fire [and] bloodshed” if Adams increased the number of “plainclothes cops” back on duty in Nov. 11 footage. “I don’t think you want riots, and fire and bloodshed, do you, Hawk?” Hemmer asked his guest Monday.
“If you listen to what I said, I said ‘we’re going to go back to.’ I don’t want riots and buildings burning but I don’t want police killing black people,” Newsome replied. “There is a cause in every reaction. Don’t just go and speak about the cause and ignore—don’t just focus on the reaction and ignore the cause.”
Hemmer pointed to the city’s 58% increase in grand larceny, 33% rise in robbery, and 27% jump in rape. Murder rates in the city dropped by 15%. The host pressed Newsome on refusing to support Adams’ idea to ensure New Yorkers’ safety. (RELATED: Biden Says America Cannot Defund The Police To Make Cities Safer)
“So here’s the problem. Eric Adams has a lot of good ideas but he doesn’t have a plan,” Newsome said. “We, in the aftermath of that clip you just ran, ran a series of interviews and we said ‘hey, ask this man where his plan at. He failed to produce a plan and now you have seven cops shot in New York City since he took office.”
WATCH:
“He never had a plan, he doesn’t have anything that’s concrete that will save the streets. He just wants to take bits and pieces of what’s failed in the past and apply it.”
Newsome alleged that Adams made him out to be a “crazy man” for his advocacy of “cure violence” groups in a recent meeting with the mayor. These groups target city gangs and community members at high risk of getting shot in the near future by mediating tensions between individuals and changing the outlook on violence through education and community building, according to the National Gang Center.
“One of the biggest things that we spoke about in our meeting with Eric Adams was cure violence groups,” Newsome said. “Taking formerly incarcerated people, taking former gang members and having them go into communities and defuse these violent situations. They made me out to be a crazy man for saying that but just last week, Joe Biden was in New York with Eric Adams and all they could talk about was ‘cure violence’ and their holistic approach to crime.”
“Ok, but Hawk, I don’t think you’re crazy. I think you might be wrong on this, but I don’t think you’re crazy,” Hemmer replied. “If gang members who have guns in their homes in the Bronx—if they hear about the NYPD making arrests everyday, every other day, they’re probably going to think twice about putting that gun in their pants, or in their car, or in the subway. They’re going to leave them at home, don’t you think?”
Newsome claimed Adams and Biden are both supporting and adopting his “cure violence group” plan despite their criticisms. He said people need to follow the research, which found that funding community organizations decreases violent crime.
Adams outlined his plan to bolster “cure violence” groups and crisis management teams to combat the recent surge of violent crime, including the shooting of 22-year-old NYPD officer Jason Rivera and the slaying of an 11-month-old, The City reported. The mayor also called for reforms in statewide bail and the prosecution of 16 and 17-year-olds charged with gun-related crimes.