NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Mayor Eric Adams‘ subway security plan acquired off to a fairly inauspicious begin after a weekend of violence on the rails. There have been eight separate incidents, including six stabbings and a person who swung a hatchet at two straphangers in Crown Heights.
As CBS2’s Marcia Kramer reported Monday, the stress is on the mayor to create a notion of security and a few viable help for the homeless.
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It’s a picture that tells you the whole lot it’s good to learn about how secure straphangers really feel on the subways — Stephanie Perez of the Bronx standing far, distant from the sting of the platform.
“By the doorways, by the wall,” Perez stated, confirming her fears of being pushed.
Then there may be one other picture that goes to subway security — the hatchet utilized in an tried assault on two riders on the No. 4 prepare Franklin Avenue platform in Crown Heights. It was amongst eight incidents over the weekend, stabbings and assaults that stoke the notion the subways usually are not secure.
“What would you like the mayor to do about it?” Kramer requested Perez.
“I don’t know. What can he do?” Perez responded.
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However with the mayor’s zero tolerance subway security plan taking impact Monday, a spokesman for Adams tried to downplay the current violence.
“Because the mayor made clear on Friday, there are not any fast fixes for these points which have been ignored for a lot too lengthy. This plan is a primary step in the direction of ending homelessness in our subways, offering complete psychological well being providers to these in want, and retaining all New Yorkers secure whereas utilizing our transit system,” press secretary Fabien Levy stated.
The violence is sparking requires extra cops.
“He ought to in all probability put extra safety down right here, like precise cops sitting right here,” stated Evan Comer of Hell’s Kitchen.
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The mayor stated that for New York Metropolis to make a full restoration from the pandemic folks need to take the subways and really feel secure doing it, however prison justice specialists say it’s not nearly hiring extra cops.
“You begin by making it appear to be it’s secure. Change, you realize, repair the lightbulbs which can be burnt out, clear out the rubbish. I imply I used to be within the metropolis the opposite day and I’m dodging bottles and cans on the subway platforms and on the staircases,” stated Joe Giacalone of John Jay Faculty of Prison Justice.
MTA officers say lots of these issues are brought on by the homeless, which underscores the necessity for the brand new subway safety program, which , a spokesman stated, “has joint response teams, made up of NYPD officers and community-based outreach groups, patrolling and offering help to these in want. This makes clear the subways are just for transportation.”
The primary a part of the brand new plan is for cops to implement transit guidelines, prohibiting issues like sleeping throughout a number of seats, exhibiting aggressive conduct, and creating an unsanitary surroundings.
Cops may even require — not advocate — riders clear trains on the finish of the road, although CBS2’s Ali Bauman reported seeing no such factor on the finish of the road in Coney Island on Monday night time.
“I’m afraid of one thing occurring. Not solely my youngsters, everybody right here, we’re not secure,” commuter Olga Altamirano stated.
“It’s a quality-of-life situation and if you happen to speak to any New Yorker and so they’ll let you know it’s essential,” commuter Barry Swady stated.
“That’s why I’m actually standing like this, as a result of it’s scary,” added Danielle Dwerling of Washington Heights.
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The mayor insists enforcement won’t be heavy handed, including 30 groups of outreach employees will likely be becoming a member of police to assist take away those that are making the subways their dwelling.
The newest stats present crime within the subway is up almost 61% to date this yr — 320 crimes in comparison with 199 within the first two months of 2021.
CBS2’s Ali Bauman and John Dias contributed to this report.
