Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered the annual State of the City address on Feb. 3, his second since taking office last year. Fighting inequality in New York City has been a theme throughout de Blasio’s tenure as mayor, proven by his successful advocacy for universal pre-K and paid sick leave. Despite these achievements, de Blasio’s administration has been troubled from the fallout of the Eric Garner decision, which resulted in massive citizen protests and an early January police police slowdown. Given the scale of this issue, it came as a surprise when de Blasio failed to make any mention of it in his speech. While de Blasio deserves praise for his progressive policies, he must address various lingering police controversies before he proceeds to make any sweeping changes.

Many in the New York Police Department publicly stated that they felt betrayed by de Blasio after the murder of two NYPD officers in late December that was related to the Garner decision. The tension culminated at the slain officers’ funerals, with many other officers turning their backs to the mayor in a blatant act of protest. Coupled with the racial tensions already plaguing the city in the wake of the Ferguson decision, de Blasio is under more pressure than ever to balance the interests of the police and their critics.

His failure to discuss the issue in his State of the City address is unfortunate because it sends the message, true or not, that he is trying to sweep it under the rug. Anti-police brutality activists held a press conference outside City Hall Wednesday, where they condemned de Blasio for ignoring the problem. “Yesterday there was a glaring omission — we thought this mayor was committed to this issue,” said Michael Skolnik, an activist with the protest group Justice League NYC.

Also in the speech, de Blasio outlined broad goals to construct 80,000 affordable housing units over the next decade, and announced well-received plans for creating a “new citywide ferry service.”  While his progressive ideas are admirable and worth pursuing, New York City comptroller Scott Stringer expressed some concerns about the financial feasibility of de Blasio’s lofty ambitions. “When you talk about affordable housing, you have to figure out a way to pay for it,” Stringer said. Eventually de Blasio must be held accountable for his plans, but the proposals are commendable.

In the coming year, de Blasio must prioritize rehabilitating his relationship with the NYPD in addition to turning his bold plans for the city into a reality. This will involve making more concrete plans for his projects. After a tumultuous first year in office, marked by triumphs and failures alike, de Blasio must communicate better with activists and the NYPD in order to properly serve the people of New York City.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Feb. 5 print edition. Email the WSN Editorial Board at [email protected].