Mayor Eric Adams seems poised to veto a police reporting bill passed by the City Council – known as the “How Many Stops Act.”

On Thursday, he took aim at the measure, while giving an update on the apprehension of a serial stabber.

“If the bill was to go into law, it could have a major impact on the ability of police officers to swiftly bring someone to justice,” said Adams at a public safety briefing on Thursday. 

Adams said police spoke to about 1,000 New Yorkers amid the investigation into the serial stabber, which under the bill could have led to an extra 49 hours of paperwork.

“When you’re taking a dangerous suspect off the street, every second matters,” Adams said. “I don’t want police officers spending a substantial amount of time filling out paperwork when I need them to do police work.”

The mayor followed his comments with a social media campaign against the legislation. A video shows a police officer sitting at a desk with paperwork stacking up while crimes are being committed outside.

However, the city council and public advocate, who sponsored the legislation, firmly pushed back against Adams.

“The ‘How Many Stops Act’ does not dictate how officers document encounters. If the NYPD creates a burdensome system, then the process will be burdensome, but the documentation process can be done seamlessly,” said City Councilmember Crystal Hudson.

The bill, passed in December, requires police officers to document investigative encounters with civilians.

The bill comes after a report from a federal monitor found that 24% of “Level 3” stops between April and October of last year were unconstitutional, and 97% of the individuals stopped were Black or Hispanic.

“The term investigative encounter means an interaction between a member of the department and a member of the public for a law enforcement investigative purpose. The term does not include a casual conversation or interaction between a member of the department or member of the public,” said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

Currently, police officers are only required to document “Level 3” investigative stops, defined as instances when there is “reasonable suspicion” the person stopped has committed or is committing a crime.

If passed, officers would also have to report so-called “Level 1 and 2” encounters.

Supporters of the bill say it is necessary to prevent unlawful stops and searches.

“The ‘How Many Stops Act’ seeks to give policymakers and the public a more complete picture of police interactions, with the public helping to identify and curb patterns of stop-and-frisk policing,” said Hudson.

Adams’ attacks come as the deadline for the mayor to veto the legislation runs out Friday.

“Mayor Adams is threatening the public safety of New Yorkers. I think to protect his own ego, I don’t know why. But he has time to change his position,” Williams said.

If the mayor vetoes the legislation, the city council is prepared to override that decision.