"In fairness to Eric, he's only been mayor five weeks," Sharpton told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday. "But even as a fan of his: Eric, they're locking up my toothpaste."
Sharpton's toothpaste remark refers to reports of convenience stores and pharmacies in the City placing affordable essentials, like toothpaste, in locked containers to prevent theft. According to a New York Police Department report released this month, "for the month of January 2022, New York City saw a 38.5% increase in overall index crime compared with January 2021."
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"I mean, we're talking about basic stuff here," Sharpton announced. "I'm like, what did I miss that we now have to lock up toothpaste?"
Sharpton went on to mention that Adams faces a "challenge" when it comes to addressing police reform and rampant petty crime.
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"There is debate in the criminal justice system," Sharpton stated. "There are those that are concerned, including me, about overloading the system and the jails with petty crime. But at the same time, you cannot have a culture where people are just, at random, robbing and stealing."
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Adams, a retired NYPD captain, ran on the ticket of fighting crime. Though at the dawn of his mayoral term, two police officers were fatally shot last month in Harlem.
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After the violence, Adams stated in January that it "doesn't matter to me if it's a police officer shot, or if it's a baby shot, I'm going to stay in these streets until this city is safe."
The former 22-year NYPD veteran has compared himself to a "general" tackling the city's crime wave head-on — an approach that supporters explain is critical to showing the public he'll make good on his campaign mantra that the "prerequisite to prosperity is public safety."
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In January, many said that New Yorkers elected Adams because they trust that his background will enable him to achieve the challenging balance between justice and safety.
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Last week, President Joe Biden met with Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul at NYPD headquarters, where he vowed to partner with Adams to reduce crime in the City.
"Mayor Adams," Biden announced, "you and I agree: The answer is not to abandon our streets. The answer is not to defund the police. It's to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors."
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