Crime wave dominates NYC mayoral debate as Yang touts key police endorsement

New York City Democratic mayoral frontrunners Eric Adams and Andrew Yang clashed over a key police endorsement on Wednesday night during a heated final debate that focused heavily on the city’s escalating violent crime crisis.

In response, Yang, who has been critical of Adams throughout the Democratic primary debate, noted the Captains Endowment Association opted to endorse him for mayor. Adams once belonged to the union. "The people you should ask about this are Eric’s former colleague in the police captains’ union, people who worked with him for years, people who know him best," Yang said. "They just endorsed me to be the next mayor of New York City. They think I’m a better choice than Eric to keep us and our families safe." Yang claimed that one of the NYPD captains had referred to Adams’ call last summer for New Yorkers to talk to their neighbors to stop the use of illegal fireworks rather than call the police as "the most irresponsible thing he’d seen from a public official."