MTA’s Sarah Feinberg slams de Blasio over latest subway crime spree
MTA interim Transit President Sarah Feinberg on Friday slammed Mayor Bill de Blasio for the recent surge in subway violence, saying such crimes could be prevented with more cops on the rails.
Feinberg said in a statement that the latest subway attacks – which she described as “five very serious armed robbery and slashing incidents at stations on the same line” – “all seemingly could have been prevented by a uniformed presence on each of these platforms.
“The responsibility for these vicious attacks does not fall on an already strapped police department – it falls on City Hall and the individuals who are taking advantage of the mayor’s negligence on the issue,” Feinberg railed.
Feinberg said of de Blasio, “If he needed a wake-up call, this is it. Enough is enough.
“The mayor is risking New York’s recovery every time he lets these incidents go by without meaningful action.”
Her agency pointed out in the statement that the mayoral candidates vying to succeed de Blasio “said they would answer the MTA’s call for additional resources to address crime” during Thursday night’s first debate for the Democratic nomination for mayor.
Those candidates, the MTA said, were Eric Adams, Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Ray McGuire and Andrew Yang.
De Blasio spokesman Bill Neidhardt fired back at the transit agency in a tweet, “MTA jumped the shark with an overtly political statement.
“Their response to stabbings is to endorse a shortlist of mayoral candidates?” Neidhardt said. “Taking political swipes at the mayor without a mention of a 500 officer surge on top of a 2,500-strong transit force.
“Politics before facts,” Neidhardt said.
Police say thugs randomly attacked five strangers during a terrifying 12-minute span at three different subway stops early Friday in Manhattan, slashing four people and punching another.
The attacks come amid a week of rampant violence on the rails.
Tony Utano, president of Transport Workers Union Local 100, also ripped de Blasio in a statement, placing the blame squarely on the mayor for the subway crime spate.
“Since last Sunday, there have been 15 serious assaults with knives, razors and fists on New York City transit riders and transit workers. God only knows what the weekend will bring,” Utano said.
“These incidents are unfortunately no longer about the crimes, or criminals, or the victims. They are about one guy, who could take action, but refuses to do so. And by this criminal inaction, Mayor de Blasio has created a crisis of confidence in our transit system,” he said.
“The blood of these victims is on Mayor de Blasio’s hands.
“New York transit riders and transit workers deserve better. When the Mayor takes the subway, he is escorted by NYPD detectives, and he cluelessly declares that the subways are safe,” Utano said. “We need a large, visible police presence in the subways riding the trains and patrolling the platforms at all times of the day.”
Utano charged that de Blasio “has obviously checked out on New York” and should step down as mayor.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, a front-runner in the race for mayor, on Friday repeated his calls for more police officers in the city’s subway system.
“These attacks on the subway this week, and the massive increase in crime over the last few months, should disturb and anger all New Yorkers,” Adams said.
“We have to face it: Crime is not getting better; it is getting worse. This cannot continue. I have said it time and time again: Public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity.
“On Monday, I stood with TWU Local 100 workers to call for more police officers on our subway system and serious mental health resources, so that New Yorkers can feel safe enough to ride our subways again. This must happen immediately,” Adams said.
Andrew Yang also called on City Hall to send more cops past the turnstiles.
“I am renewing my call on Mayor de Blasio to increase the police presence in the subway system immediately, because every day we delay that action more people are going to get hurt, Andrew Yang said.
Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia and Ray McGuire also supported sending more cops to the subway in Thursday’s debate.
Comptroller Scott Stringer said addressing mental health and housing issues were more important than flooding the system with cops.
“I do want to make it very clear that the rush to send 1000s of police officers into the subway system with no plan makes no sense. We need a comprehensive plan,” Stringer said.
