NYPD CHIEF DESCRIBES SUBWAY POLICING EFFORTS

The infusion of precinct cops into the subway, one of several initiatives the chief described at the NYC Transit Committee meeting at MTA headquarters, was welcomed by Local 100 President Tony Utano. Local 100 endorsed Adams for mayor last year.

“The Mayor promised us that City Hall would put a lot of effort and resources towards improving the subway environment for both riders and workers,” Utano said. “He told us that he’d confront the issues of crime, homelessness, and mental illness on display down there – not put his head in the sand. Chief Corey’s presentation today strongly indicates to us that the mayor is following through on his commitments.”

Other police moves in the subway Corey outlined included: reassigning 350 police officers to administrative posts to patrol inside major hub stations; deploying more officers to outreach teams, consisting of social workers and clinicians, offering housing and other services to the homeless; increasing the police presence between noon and 4 a.m. when 74% of subway crime takes place; and cracking down on quality-of-life offenses like public urination and smoking.

On the bus side, police officers now walking the beat on commercial strips in the city also are being directed to briefly board and ask Bus Operators if they are having any problems, Corey said.