2 weeks ago
16
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
The mayor has kept his vow to lower crime in New York City, but the city’s economic recovery has stalled and homelessness has risen.
Dec. 23, 2025, 3:00 a.m. ET
He took office four years ago, vowing to be a “get stuff done” mayor. And in his repeated telling, Mayor Eric Adams has done just that — dropping that catchphrase a half-dozen times or so during a defiant end-of-term speech last week.
There is some evidence to support Mr. Adams’s self-assessment. He ran on a pledge to lower New York City’s crime rates; murders have fallen significantly. He has helped make it easier to build housing, and moved trash from the curb into bins.
But he has also been his own worst enemy, with New Yorkers taking issue with his propensity for stretching the truth, his handling of the city budget and his leadership qualities. By the time he was indicted by federal authorities on corruption charges — a case later dismissed at the Trump administration’s urging — Mr. Adams’s popularity had sunk so far that he ended his bid for re-election.
As he concludes his term, here is a look at how he fared on seven key issues.
— Emma G. Fitzsimmons
Image
Crime fell, but civilian complaints against police officers rose.
Mr. Adams, a former police captain who once spoke out against police brutality, vowed to bring down crime after it rose during the coronavirus pandemic.
