Fresh off winning one of the most-coveted endorsements in the crowded race for mayor, Kathryn Garcia was talking crime and punishment and the overhaul of the NYPD on Tuesday.
"Zero tolerance for rule infractions by police officers. Zero," Garcia told reporters standing outside the 90th Precinct in Brooklyn, where she announced her policing plan and a proposal to stem the flow of illegal guns into the city.
Among other things, Garcia is also proposing to dock officer pay in cases of misconduct, change the recruitment age minimum to 25 years old and requiring that every officer live in the five boroughs.
Garcia's plans are a moderate set of proposals when compared to what some of her opponents want to do when it comes to policing.
Both Maya Wiley and Shaun Donovan held separate press conferences to announce their version of police reform and public safety. The issue has come into focus again this week following the shooting of three people, including a 4-year-old child, in Times Square.
"We are going to shift a billion dollars from this budget," Wiley said. "We don't need an army. We just need partners. partners in public safety."
Donovan said his plan would remove the NYPD from interacting with certain vulnerable populations.
"They should not be in our schools. They should not be responding to mental health crises. They should not be doing homeless outreach," Donovan said.
Garcia does not support calls to defund the police. Instead, she wants to increase the size of the NYPD Gun Violence Suppression Division to tackle an increase in shootings. She wants police and mental health professionals to pair up and patrol subway platforms.
Asked about her plan, and whether her proposals might be seen as outdated, Garcia pushed back.
"They're ideas that have never been accomplished," she said. "It is about looking at the root causes of what drives crime: lack of stable housing, food insecurity, economic opportunity."
Garcia's campaign, which has been struggling and polling in the single digits, got a big boost on Monday night after the New York Times Editorial Board endorsed her campaign.
The board cited her experience as a seasoned municipal manager, saying she's best suited to bring the city back after the pandemic.
The endorsement could help Garcia in some parts of the city, but it's less clear if it could drastically improve her performance in the polls so far.
"Yesterday, the New York Times called this the most consequential contest in a generation, and I agree," Garcia said.
Eric Adams was less impressed.
"Congratulations to Kathryn," Adams said. "But when you do a real analysis of some of the streamlining of sanitation, are our streets cleaner?"
Adams announced what he's calling "the people's plan," a proposal to streamline city agencies to better connect New Yorkers who need public assistance.
"It's the inefficiencies of our agencies that is creating the inequality," he said.
The Brooklyn borough president said he wants to offer cash assistance, child care and housing vouchers all under one application.
"Imagine typing one number, that number will give you everything you qualify for without any paperwork," he said.