NYC Mayor Eric Adams defunds school safety to offset spending for housing of illegal immigrants

New York City’s mayor is taking heat for cutting 250 new school safety agents and suggesting parents volunteer to patrol their local schools.

“We’re going to be leaning into parents and parent groups to do some volunteerism,” Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday when asked about the recent safety cuts. “We’re going to get to our crisis management team. We are going to be straining at a very high level to get this done correctly.”

Critics quickly slammed Adams’ decision to cut the new agents while spending billions to house illegal immigrants in hotels across the city.

“There’s nothing more important than the safety of our children,” Staten Island Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, R-District 11, said in a press conference. “This is part of a dangerous trend that the mayor has been setting for this city.

“We are seeing a reduction in the NYPD overall. We’re seeing less cops on the street. Less detectives being able to solve crimes to put people behind bars. And now we’re seeing 25% less safety agents than there were pre-COVID pandemic.” 

She called the mayor’s right to shelter policy “ridiculous,” saying it’s costing the city “billions of dollars” and has resulted in a hiring freeze and reduced city services. 

Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella characterized it as an “I told you so” moment. 

“About a year ago, as the migrant shelter migrant crisis began to unfold and we said then it would be… unsustainable,” he said. “Sooner or later, hardworking people of this community would suffer. And they are [suffering]. 

“If you want to spend $12 billion and continue to spend $12 billion on the migrant crisis, so be it, but don’t take it from the hardworking people in Staten Island.” 

Parents in the affected districts also voiced their concerns. 

“It’s not my job or any parent’s job to have to patrol the school,” said Sarah Lewis, parent of a Great Oaks Charter School student. “That’s not why I’m sending my child to a school.” 

“This whole situation is ridiculous,” said another parent. “Charter and public schools are already in need for more funding and now with this … turning to parents for help in doing their own jobs!”  

“I usually don’t even have the time to pick up my kid,” yet another parent added. “Now they want us to come in and act as what, security guards?” 

The local union for school safety agents joined in on the criticism. 

“People pay taxes for professional services,” Hank Sheinkopf, the spokesman for Local 237, said. “Why should they even be asked to do the work their taxes pay for?” 

The decision came after Adams reportedly said the city’s agencies may need to reduce their budgets by as much as 15%. Such cuts would be necessary to offset the $12 billion Adams’ administration spent mitigating the illegal immigrant crisis.