DeSantis Visits New York on Tour Meant to Present He Is Robust on Crime

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida traveled to New York Metropolis on Monday, kicking off a tour meant to focus on the difficulty of crime in Democratic-led cities in an obvious try and place himself as a law-and-order candidate in a presidential marketing campaign he has but to announce.

Talking to regulation enforcement officers at a restaurant within the Republican stronghold of Staten Island, Mr. DeSantis mentioned that “woke” cities like New York have been taking the incorrect method to preventing crime.

“These woke approaches to crime and regulation and order and being anti-police, these insurance policies have failed,” Mr. DeSantis mentioned in a dwell interview on Fox Information from the occasion. “Florida’s insurance policies have succeeded.”

New York, the place Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, has additionally criticized left-leaning Democrats, was the primary cease on Mr. DeSantis’s tour, and the governor’s look was organized at Mr. DeSantis’s behest, in keeping with individuals aware of the small print. He was anticipated to go to Fort Washington, a Philadelphia suburb, and Elmhurst, Ailing., close to Chicago, in a while Monday.

Mr. DeSantis, 44, has captured the eye of Republican voters by presenting himself as a youthful, extra policy-focused inheritor to former President Donald J. Trump.

His speech on Monday, delivered in the one New York borough that supported Mr. Trump within the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, was attended by main state Republicans. He was launched by Lee Zeldin, the previous Lengthy Island congressman who misplaced final yr’s governor’s race to Kathy Hochul, the incumbent Democrat, and who has been a staunch ally of Mr. Trump’s. Mr. Zeldin’s presence urged a potential loosening of Mr. Trump’s grip on prime Republicans in his former dwelling state.

Mr. DeSantis’s message resonates with New Yorkers who’re annoyed a couple of rise in main crimes, mentioned Joseph Borelli, the Metropolis Council’s Republican minority chief, who attended the occasion, on the restaurant Privé.

“His message was easy — that Florida has hit a 50-year low in crime as a result of they haven’t enacted insurance policies like bail reform and defund the police,” he mentioned. “Each time you open a newspaper, they’re speaking about crime in New York and different massive progressive cities.”

It’s tough to check crime charges in Florida and New York, partially due to modifications to how information is collected, in keeping with specialists. New York Metropolis noticed a drop in murders final yr, as did Miami, in keeping with a report this month by the Main Cities Chiefs Affiliation, a police executives’ group. Three of Florida’s largest cities — Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa — skilled will increase in murders final yr.

Mr. DeSantis’s journey was instantly criticized by Mr. Adams, who coldly welcomed the governor to New York and mentioned he may discover it completely different from his dwelling state as a result of, Mr. Adams mentioned, it doesn’t ban books, discriminate towards homosexual residents or intrude with abortion rights.

“We’re pleased to show you one thing about values when you’re right here,” Mr. Adams mentioned.

Members of Mr. DeSantis’s workers responded by noting that many New Yorkers have been leaving town whereas Florida’s inhabitants was rising.

“Possibly it’s you who can be taught from Ron DeSantis,” Christina Pushaw, a prime communications aide to Mr. DeSantis, wrote on Twitter.

Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Adams have clashed prior to now over social points, the inflow of migrants and the 2 males’s respective states’ enchantment to the very wealthy.

Mr. Adams, who has known as himself the “face of the Democratic Celebration,” introduced a marketing campaign final yr to place up billboards in Florida denouncing that state’s so-called don’t say homosexual regulation and alluring Florida residents to maneuver to New York.

Many New Yorkers moved to Florida in the course of the pandemic, together with rich residents just like the billionaire Carl Icahn. In 2020, New York Metropolis had a internet lack of almost 21,000 residents to Florida, in keeping with Inner Income Service information, nearly double the typical annual internet loss earlier than the pandemic.

Mr. DeSantis mentioned on Fox Information on Monday that Florida was providing cops a $5,000 signing bonus, and he inspired officers from New York and Chicago to maneuver to the state in the event that they weren’t pleased. Folks typically cite decrease taxes and fewer pandemic restrictions as causes to maneuver to Florida, he mentioned, however the prime purpose was crime.

“The No. 1 factor you hear over and over is, ‘I want secure communities,’” he mentioned, “and it has induced lots of people to go away these previously thriving areas.”

Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.