Eric Adams (politician)

Eric Adams
Eric Adams speaking at City Hall in New York City, October 5, 2008.
18th Borough President of Brooklyn
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2014
Preceded by	Marty Markowitz
Member of the New York Senate from the 20th district
In office January 2007 – December 31, 2013
Preceded by	Carl Andrews
Succeeded by	Jesse Hamilton III
Personal details
Profession	Police Officer

Eric Adams
Police career
Department	New York City Police Department
Years of service	1984–2006
Rank	Police Officer Sergeant Lieutenant Captain

Eric Leroy Adams (born September 1, 1960) is the Borough President of Brooklyn, New York City. Previously, he was a Democratic State Senator in the New York Senate, representing the 20th Senate District, which includes the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Flatbush, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Sunset Park and Prospect Heights. On November 5, 2013, Adams was elected Brooklyn Borough President, the first African-American to hold the office.

Prior to his election to the New York State Senate, Adams served as a police officer in the New York City Police Department for 22 years.^[1] Adams graduated from the New York City Police Academy in 1984 as the highest ranked student of his class. He started in the New York City Transit Police and worked in the 6th precinct in Greenwich Village, the 94th precinct in Greenpoint and the 88th precinct covering Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. While serving, he co-founded 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, an advocacy group for black police officers, and often spoke out against police brutality and racial profiling.^[2] During the 1990s Adams served as president of the Grand Council of Guardians. Adams rose to prominence during the 90s, after a series of "friendly fire" shootings by white police officers against black officers.

Early life and education

Eric Leroy Adams was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn on September 1, 1960.^[3]

Adams was raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn and South Jamaica, Queens attending Brooklyn Tech and Bayside High School.

Adams received his A.A. from City Tech and his B.A. from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He has a Master of Public Administration degree from Marist College.^[4]

Politics

In 1994 Adams unsuccessfully ran against Major Owens for the 11th Congressional seat in Central Brooklyn.

State Senate

Adams was first elected to the New York State Senate in 2006. While a state senator, Adams co-chair of New York's State Legislators Against Illegal Guns.

Adams was a vocal opponent of the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" policy, which predominantly affected young Black and Latino men. He has sought to stop the New York City Police Department from gathering data about individuals who have been stopped but not charged.^[5] In 2000, the United States Commission on Civil Rights concluded the City of New York’s street-stop policy constituted racial profiling^[6] Adams supported the calling for a federal investigation into current "stop-and-frisk" practices.^[6]

Adams was among the legislators who suggested a pay raise in 2008.^[7]

Adams and fellow state lawmakers wore hooded sweatshirts in the legislative chamber on March 12, 2012,^[8] in protest of the shooting of Trayvon Martin, a Florida teen who was killed by George Zimmerman.^[8]

On December 2, 2009, Adams was one of the 24 senators to vote in favor of marriage equality in New York State.^[9] Adams spoke in support of the freedom to marry during the debate before the vote.^[9]

Reference List

1. Devereaux, Ryan (May 18, 2012). "NYPD Stop-and-Frisk Lawsuit Gets Class Action Status". The Rutherford Institute. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
2. Wansley, Terrance. "100 BLACKS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO CARE". Retrieved 11 June 2012.
3. Eric L. Adams, Office of the Brooklyn Borough President.
4. Senatorial biography
5. KATZ, CELESTE (May 24, 2010). "Adams, Jeffries Defend Stop-And-Frisk Bill". Daily News. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
6. Schuh, Jamie (October 20, 2011). "NYPD's stop-and-frisk policy demands a federal probe: It's race-based and ineffective". Daily News. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
7. Danny Hakim & Trymaine Lee, New York Legislators Pushing to Raise Their Pay, New York Times (February 10, 2008).
8. Seiler, Casey (March 27, 2012). "'Hooded' legislators make a point". Times Union. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
9. Support (Dec 7, 2009). "Voice for Equality: NYS Senator, Eric Adams". Freedom To Marry. Retrieved 18 June 2012.

See also

• 2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis

External links

• Official Brooklyn borough president website
• Eric Adams for Brooklyn Borough President 2013
• Elect Eric Adams for Brooklyn Borough President 2013 on Facebook
• New York State Senate: Eric Adams (archived)
• 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement