In an era where public safety messaging often travels at the speed of social media, January 22, 2025, marked a revealing moment in New York City politics. Over just 23 minutes, the city’s top law enforcement officials executed a coordinated media campaign that masterfully demonstrated how selective statistics can paint a misleading picture of public safety.
The carefully orchestrated performance began with Mayor Eric Adams touting citywide gun seizures, while concealing that violent crime had surged 24.5% across New York City during his tenure. Manhattan DA Bragg followed by celebrating his borough’s statistics, omitting that violent crime in Manhattan had jumped 12.1% on his watch. NYPD Commissioner Tisch completed the chorus by echoing the mayor’s narrative, maintaining silence about the citywide surge in violent crime under the Adams administration.
The Coordinated Media Campaign Unfolds
11:28 AM – Mayor Adams Sets the Stage
Mayor Eric Adams celebrated seizing “20,000 ILLEGAL GUNS” as proof of making “our city SAFER for everyone.” The reality across New York City under his administration? A staggering increase of 6,582 felony assaults, 2,725 more robberies, and 257 additional rapes since he took office. Some definition of “safer.”
The Numbers They Don’t Want You to See
Citywide Changes Under Adams (2021 vs 2024):
- Murder: Down 22.7% (488 to 377)
- Rape: Up 17.2% (1,491 to 1,748)
- Robbery: Up 19.7% (13,831 to 16,556)
- Felony Assault: Up 28.8% (22,835 to 29,417)
- Total Violent Crime: Up 24.5% (38,645 to 48,098)
Let’s talk about what “safer” really means in today’s New York City. While Adams celebrates gun seizures, felony assaults have exploded citywide – that’s an additional 18 violent assaults daily under his administration. Robberies jumped by nearly 3,000 cases, and rapes increased by 257. But don’t worry, they’ve got a great social media strategy.
11:33 AM – Manhattan DA Bragg’s Statistical Shell Game
Manhattan Changes Under Bragg (2021 vs 2024):
- Murder: Down 18.5% (92 to 75)
- Rape: Up 14.7% (292 to 335)
- Robbery: Up 5.1% (3,542 to 3,721)
- Felony Assault: Up 17.8% (4,757 to 5,605)
- Total Violent Crime: Up 12.1% (8,683 to 9,736)
Within minutes of Adams’ post, Manhattan DA Bragg chimed in to celebrate his borough’s “20% murder reduction and 45% fewer shootings.” What Bragg conveniently omitted: 848 new felony assaults in Manhattan alone. His selective statistics paint Manhattan as a success story while burying an inconvenient truth – violent crime in his jurisdiction has jumped 12.1% since he took office, with 1,053 additional violent incidents under his watch.
11:53 AM – Commissioner Tisch Completes the Chorus
Commissioner Jessica Tisch completed this carefully choreographed performance at 11:53 AM, echoing Adams’ gun seizure milestone while maintaining radio silence about the 24.5% surge in violent crime during his tenure. Three years, three officials, one narrative – and a whole lot of missing data.
The Art of Statistical Cherry-Picking
The selective statistics tell a story, but not the one they intended. Sure, murders decreased citywide – a genuine achievement worth noting. But when felony assaults skyrocket by the thousands, touting decreased murders as proof of improved safety is like celebrating fewer house fires while your neighborhood floods. Technical victory, practical disaster.
A Crisis of Leadership
The real story isn’t just about rising crime – it’s about the transformation of law enforcement leadership into a synchronized PR operation. When the mayor tweets about safety improvements, and within minutes, both the Manhattan DA and Police Commissioner amplify the same selective statistics, we’re witnessing something more calculated than coincidence.
Consider Manhattan’s numbers under DA Bragg. His celebration of 17 fewer murders during his tenure conveniently ignores 848 additional felony assaults in his borough – many representing attempted murders that missed their mark. His “shooting reduction” statistics employ the same sleight of hand, counting only when bullets find their targets while violent crime in his jurisdiction soared by over a thousand incidents.
The Bottom Line
Behind each massaged statistic lies a New Yorker whose story deserves more than political spin. The mayor’s enthusiasm about gun seizures while violent crime explodes by 24.5% during his tenure exposes either a disturbing disconnect from reality or a calculated disregard for truth. No amount of coordinated Twitter celebrations can hide 9,453 additional violent crimes across New York City in his first three years.
New York doesn’t need synchronized spin from its mayor, police commissioner, and district attorney. It needs honest acknowledgment of the challenges we face. Instead, we got a 23-minute performance of coordinated tweets, each carefully crafted to paint a picture that falls apart under the slightest scrutiny. Welcome to New York City, where the crime stats may be rising, but hey – at least the Twitter game is strong.
Written by Sam Antar
© 2025 Sam Antar. All rights reserved.
All crime statistics cited in this article are sourced directly from official NYPD CompStat data.