Press Room

"Baselining funding for key services is great – and I’m glad that the mayor is finally trying to meet the baseline standard for responsible governance, in the final months of his term. At the same time, this mayor has made cuts for years, using dishonest math and disingenuous framing. Correcting some of those cuts now doesn’t make up for years that New Yorkers will remember forever. 

"I thank the Council for their consistent work to prevent the worst cuts of recent years and fund essential services the mayor has long underfunded, such as mental health services. Together with our partners in government, we will continue to review the details of this announcement and work to ensure that New Yorkers are protected from the worst actions of the Trump administration and impacts of the Trump economy."

"Over the last three years, this mayor and his allies have instituted the steepest rent increases in decades. They have actively chosen to make our city less affordable. 

"A rent freeze is essential to limit the damage and help keep New Yorkers in their homes. We can provide support to the small owners who are genuinely struggling, without continuing to squeeze tenants with rents they simply cannot afford. I urge the Rent Guidelines Board to deliver long-overdue relief, and any leaders who claim to care about affordability to join our urgent call for a freeze."

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams urged the administration to release data on the outcomes of NYPD involuntary transports today, as the mayor and others push to expand the involuntary commitment of New Yorkers. While data was made available for the 661 clinician-initiated transports in 2024, no corresponding number is public for the 7060 initiated by the NYPD. The Public Advocate also released the following statement:

“Wake up, Mayor Adams. The unintended consequences of passing this proposal to lowering standards could be dire, and lead to the criminalization of poverty, homelessness, and how it presents itself in our city. We have to be focused on helping people, not hiding them. If the mayor is committed to that goal, the least he can do is show us the data. Despite what the mayor and governor say, the choice is not between doing nothing and doing the wrong thing.”

The Public Advocate sent a letter to the NYPD requesting this essential data be made public as the administration continues to double down on a strategy without showing evidence of its effectiveness and despite evidence to the contrary. 

He also held a press conference today to amplify this call, to ask that the mayor follow the existing law before pushing for new, harmful ones, and to highlight the need to strengthen and sustain support for New Yorkers in the greatest need. A copy of the letter is below. April 24, 2025 Dear Commissioner Tisch,

I recently wrote to Mayor Adams to express deep concern about the administration’s push to expand the use of involuntary commitment laws rather than following existing laws designed to support New Yorkers in need. A January report to the City Council [2024 Involuntary Transports Annual Report] from the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health tracked involuntary transports across city agencies in 2024. According to that report, the NYPD initiated 7,060 of these transports.

In that communication, I raised a critical and still unaddressed issue: The data provided shows that clinician-initiated transports—661 in total—resulted in hospital admissions 58% of the time. However, there is no comparable data regarding the outcomes of the NYPD-initiated transports. What were the outcomes of the 7,060 individuals transported to hospitals by the NYPD? 

This information is not just a matter of public transparency—it is essential for policymaking. As conversations continue in Albany around potentially expanding the use of involuntary commitment through the state budget, we must have a clear, data-driven understanding of how these transports are currently being used, and with what outcomes. Without that, we risk shaping policy without fully grasping its real-world implications.

My office is requesting this information from the department, and urges you to release the data publicly to engage in good-faith collaboration with oversight bodies and community stakeholders to ensure practices align with public health priorities, civil liberties, and accountability. Please direct follow-up correspondence to my office through Chief Deputy Public Advocate for Policy Veronica Aveis at vaveis@advocate.nyc.gov.

Sincerely, Jumaane D. Williams Public Advocate for the City of New York

“For months, the mayor has lied to New Yorkers about what sanctuary cities are, claiming it is impossible to advance public safety under our current sanctuary laws. Yet today, with those laws still in place, he trumpeted a joint federal and local effort to get gangs and guns off the streets – disproving his own arguments. He willfully exploits conflation and confusion between legitimate law enforcement and the abuses he continues to support.

“Following the specifics of the law, or being honest about them, has never been a focus for this mayor or this president. Just hours ago, the mayor said he didn’t have a problem with the Trump administration’s extralegal removal of people to a notorious prison in El Salvador. It seems that the real joint effort between the mayor and the White House is to lie about public safety for political gain, demonize immigrants, and weaponize fear to justify the worst of their actions.”  

"I join in mourning the loss of Pope Francis, who led one billion Catholics and was a model of faithful, loving service for many more, regardless of creed. 

"I was privileged to see him speak during his visit to our city, where his humility was palpable and his message memorable. Through his life, his leadership, and into his final days he put his faith forward through his words and works, seeking to lift up the people pushed to the margins of society. Like Jesus, peace be unto his name, he was a passionate voice for the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, the imprisoned, the immigrant, the outsider. He brought mercy and love from the pulpit into the world.

"It is my hope and fervent prayer that we extend his legacy by continuing the path he walked, working as he did for progress, for inclusivity, for understanding, for true and lasting peace and justice."

Last week, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams called for the city and state to make use of mental health incident review panels, following the laws in place rather than pushing for new ones which could do more harm than good. Comments from the mayor over the weekend appear to make it clear that the mayor did not understand the request or the law, so the Public Advocate issued the following statement in response.

“I have to assume that the mayor did not understand the practice or purpose of mental health incident review panels – it is the only explanation for his response. I know that this mayor has a long history of ignoring laws (and the truth) when not politically beneficial to him, but it is negligent of him not to use all the tools available to help people in need before demanding new, harmful ones. These panels – which again, have never been used despite over a decade of the state law –  are intended to review circumstances, address missteps, and prevent future harm. This isn’t solely about individual incidents like last week’s shooting –it's about understanding how one gets to the point of crisis. To suggest that it is not helpful to trace the cause of mental health incidents is like arguing against autopsies because they can’t prevent the death that took place.  

“We have to examine the spaces where people get left behind in order to make the changes that will actually help people get the services they need and protect public health and safety. The mayor has never used the power to request this review. Willful ignorance is not an option – either of the gaps in our systems which allow New Yorkers in need to suffer, or of the laws on books to help correct them.”

Under Mental Hygiene Law § 31.37, the Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health has the power to establish a mental health incident review panel, either by their own initiative or at the request of a local government unit following a serious incident involving a person with mental illness. However, as affirmed in a February 5 hearing in Albany, these panels have never been requested.

The Public Advocate sent letters to both City Hall and Albany, questioning the mayor on why the city has not asked for these reviews in the past and asking the state’s mental health commissioner to convene one for a recent incident. Read more here.