Considered one of the Big Apple’s billionaire landlords called on Mayor Eric Adams to make town’s crime problem his top priority on Thursday.
Citadel CEO Ken Griffin spoke in regards to the importance of public safety to a business-friendly environment at a roundtable attended by roughly 60 people, including Adams, KKR & Co. co-founder Henry Kravis and Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf.
Partnership for New York hosted the summit at KKR’s Hudson Yards offices. Partnership for New York CEO Kathryn Wylde said the meeting was “optimistic” despite the intense topic.
“[Griffin] said that in the event you fail to catch crime, there’ll be an exodus,” Partnership for New York Director General Kathryn Wylde, who attended the meeting, told The Post.
In accordance with NYPD statistics, the number of great crimes in New York City increased by 23% in 2022 in comparison with the previous 12 months.
Wylde said Griffin expressed confidence in Adams’ crime reduction efforts to avoid the fate of Chicago – where Citadel and other firms have fled on account of security concerns.
![Griffin said crime is an important problem that New York has to deal with.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/eric-adams-nypd-88-1.jpg?w=1024)
Adams was open to Griffin’s comments and described the steps town is already taking to fight crime.
“It was probably the most upbeat talk I’ve heard about New York in a very long time,” added Wylde. “The tone of the meeting was that let’s move away from the cynicism of the pandemic and concentrate on what we’re purported to be optimistic about.”
The Post contacted the mayor’s office for further comments.
Griffin also voiced his concerns about other issues facing New York, including housing and education.
Griffin’s warning to Adams comes weeks after his company revealed plans to construct an all-new “1.7 million-square-foot trophy office tower” in Midtown that will develop into town’s key Citadel hub.
![NYPD](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/eric-adams-nypd-91.jpg?w=1024)
The planned Citadel skyscraper will replace the adjoining buildings at 350 Park Avenue, 40 East 52nd Street, and 39 East 51st Street, and can eventually accommodate all New York City employees. The corporate has roughly 1,500 employees in New York City and roughly 4,000 employees worldwide.
Griffin moved Citadel’s headquarters to Miami from Chicago last June after the corporate expressed concern about a surge in crime in Windy City. He said Griffin, who was the wealthiest person in the state with a net value of $25 billion, was also interested in Florida’s business-friendly policies.
In his year-end address last month, Adams touted progress in the fight to enhance public safety. He cited statistics that showed “over 17% decline in shootings, over 12% decline in homicides and a 27-year record for gun arrests.”
“I feel New Yorkers should feel higher in regards to the direction we’re going in town in terms of public safety,” Adams said in a December 21 speech.
![Eric Adams](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/eric-adams-nypd-83.jpg?w=1024)
Bloomberg he was the primary to report Griffin’s comments.