From Streets to City Hall: A Lifelong Journey of Mayor Eric Adams' Service

By Luis Vicente Carpio

Mayor Eric Adams has served the people of New York City as an NYPD Officer, State Senator, Brooklyn County President and now the 110th Mayor of New York City. He voiced a diverse coalition of working families in the five wards and led the fight to revitalize New York City’s economy, reduce inequality, improve public safety, and build a stronger, healthier city that provides for all New Yorkers.

As one of six children, born in Brownsville and raised in South Jamaica by a single house cleaning mother, Eric and his family didn’t always know if they would come home with an eviction notice at the front door or food on the table. When he was beaten by police in the basement of a police station at 15, Eric faced a life-changing act of injustice.

But instead of giving in to anger, Eric turned his pain into purpose and decided to change the police department from the inside. He joined the NYPD and became one of its most outspoken officers, denouncing racism and bias in the department and pushing for major reforms.

As founder of 100 black in Law Enforcement Care, Eric sometimes patrolled the streets of New York City in a bulletproof vest, during the 1980s and 1990s, always protesting against misconduct by certain cops the next day, he marched side by side with your fellow police officers, civil rights defenders. He rose to the rank of captain, helping build the city’s first computerized crime tracking system, leading to historic gains in public safety.

Eric’s efforts to change the police began his lifelong work to improve and protect New York. From the NYPD, he moved on to the State Senate, where he represented sections of downtown and neighborhoods of Brooklyn Brownstone.. In Albany, Eric built winning coalitions to promote New York City’s values and goals, helping push forward measures to protect tenants and workers, combat gun violence, end NYPD abuses of detention and inspection, and advance law enforcement humans, including marriage equality. He also became the first person of color to preside over the Senate National Security Committee.

Eric was then elected president of Brooklyn County in 2013 bringing together a diverse coalition of Brooklyn residents to become the county’s first black leader. As a representative of one of the nation’s largest counties, Eric fought tirelessly to grow the local economy, invest in schools, reduce inequality, improve public safety, and advocate for smart policies and better government that provides for all New Yorkers.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the city, Eric moved a mattress into his office and worked tirelessly to deliver donated meals and personal protective equipment to essential workers and vulnerable New Yorkers, demanding the government produce more equitable help.

Besides continuing to fight for struggling New Yorkers and a better quality of life for all, Eric became a national leader in public health policy after learning he had developed type 2 diabetes. After his diagnosis, Eric completely changed his diet and body, reversing the disease and launching a personal mission to educate New Yorkers about preventative care and wellness. His work has already led to successful proactive public health efforts across the city and an increase in education in schools and with high-risk populations in low-income areas, collaborating with civic organizations and health experts.

Eric is a New Yorker for life. He earned his Master’s in Public Administration from Marist College, and is a graduate of New York City Technical College and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.. He’s also a proud alumnus of New York City public schools, including Bayside High School in Queens.. Today he lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant, where he has resided for more than 20 years.. Eric is the proud father of Jordan, an aspiring filmmaker and graduate of American University..

Mayor Eric Adams has served the people of New York City as an NYPD officer, State Senator, Brooklyn Borough President, and now as the 110th Mayor of the City of New York. He gave voice to a diverse coalition of working families in all five boroughs and is leading the fight to bring back New York City’s economy, reduce inequality, improve public safety, and build a stronger, healthier city that delivers for all New Yorkers.

As one of six children, born in Brownsville and raised in South Jamaica by a single mom who cleaned houses, Eric and his family did not always know if they would come home to an eviction notice on the front door or food on the table. And when he was beaten by police in the basement of a precinct house at 15, Eric faced a life-changing act of injustice.

But instead of giving into anger, Eric turned his pain into purpose and decided to change the police department from within. He joined the NYPD and became one of its most outspoken officers, calling out racism and bias in the department and pushing for major reforms.

As a founder of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, Eric would often police the streets in a bulletproof vest one day during the high-crime 1980’s and 1990’s and protest bad behavior by cops the next, marching side-by-side with his fellow civil rights advocates. He rose to the rank of captain, helping to build the first computerized system for tracking crime in the city, which led to historic gains in public safety.

Eric’s efforts to change policing began his lifelong work to improve and protect New York. From the NYPD, he moved on to the State Senate, where he represented sections of central and Brownstone Brooklyn. In Albany, Eric built winning coalitions to advance New York City’s values and goals, helping to push through measures to protect tenants and workers, combat gun violence, end the NYPD’s abuses of stop and frisk, and advance human rights — including marriage equality. He also became the first person of color to chair the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee.

Eric was then elected Brooklyn Borough President in 2013 by putting together a diverse coalition of Brooklynites to become the borough’s first Black leader. As the representative of one of the nation’s largest counties, Eric fought tirelessly to grow the local economy, invest in schools, reduce inequality, improve public safety, and advocate for smart policies and better government that delivers for all New Yorkers.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the city, Eric moved a mattress into his office and worked around the clock to deliver donated meals and PPE to essential workers and vulnerable New Yorkers, demanding government produce more equitable relief.

In addition to continuing to fight for struggling New Yorkers and a better quality of life for all, Eric became a national leader on public health policy after learning he had developed Type 2 diabetes. Following his diagnosis, Eric completely changed his diet and his body, reversing the disease and launching a personal mission to educate New Yorkers about preventative care and wellness. His work has already led to successful proactive public health efforts across the city and increased education in schools and with high-risk populations in lower-income areas, partnering with civic organizations and health experts.

Eric is a lifelong New Yorker. He received his master’s degree in public administration from Marist College, and is a graduate of New York City Technical College and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is also a proud product of New York City public schools, including Bayside High School in Queens. Today he lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant, where he has resided for over 20 years. Eric is the proud father of Jordan, an aspiring filmmaker and graduate of American University