New York City Mayor Eric Adams criticized the failure to stop repeat offenders as the Big Apple faces a rise in subway crime.
The former top cop, 63, launched a crackdown this week that will subject subway passengers to “random” baggage checks and increase the number of plainclothes police officers.
Adams emphasized that the measures are necessary to curb a rise in subway attacks, particularly against MTA workers, which he said are driven primarily by a small number of criminals who can attack people hundreds of times each one.
He noted that 38 people were arrested for a staggering 1,126 attacks on MTA workers in 2023, while 542 people were arrested last year for more than 7,600 theft offenses.
“We’re doing our job,” he said. PIX11 On Wednesday. “We cannot have 38 people who committed 1,126 crimes in our city back on our streets.”
In a separate interview Wednesday with CBS New YorkIt was noted that Adams is deploying 94 bag screening teams at 136 stations, among a total of 472 subway stations in New York City.
These efforts will be bolstered by nearly 1,000 New York State Police, MTA Police and National Guard troops deployed to assist with subway bag checks, it was announced Wednesday.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (pictured with NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper) said he is “not happy” with the state of subway crime as he launches a offensive.
Adams is deploying 94 bag screening teams to 136 stations, among a total of 472 subway stations in New York City.
Although the technology is not ready yet, the mayor said he hopes to improve the security of the New York City subway by introducing weapons detection systems throughout the city.
The systems were a promise Adams made when he ran for mayor, but he said this week that he’s still waiting for Silicon Valley to respond to his “challenge to the tech industry.”
Meanwhile, he said he has put the latest measures in place because the city is suffering from what he called a “recidivism spike” – offenders continuing to commit crimes after being arrested and released.
He noted that the number of repeat MTA attackers (every 38 suspects account for an average of nearly 30 attacks each in 2023) has increased even though arrests have been made.
Without mentioning anyone by name, the mayor alluded to a weak system that allows perpetrators to return to the streets and said the city needs to “do an analysis of the entire criminal justice system to make sure every aspect is doing its part.” job”.
In one of the recent attacks a week ago, a subway driver was slashed in the neck after briefly sticking his head out of the train window.
Last month, city officials also criticized the release without bail of a repeat offender who has already been arrested six times this year and reportedly has 47 priors and 28 convictions for preying on New Yorkers, reports. PIX11.
The perpetrator, Rudell Faulkner, was quickly released back onto the streets despite being arrested for grand larceny against a 56-year-old woman and felony narcotics possession when he was arrested in February.
Last month, subway driver Alton Scott, 59, received 34 stitches after being slashed in a random attack on the New York subway.
Repeat offender Rudell Faulkner (pictured) sparked outrage last month after he was quickly released onto the streets following an arrest, despite having six arrests this year and a total of 47 priors and 28 convictions for profiteering. New Yorkers.
Adams also said the NYPD is pointing to an increase in robberies and shoplifting across the city, which he again cited as being carried out by a small number of perpetrators.
The 542 repeat offenders arrested last year were each responsible for an average of more than 14 crimes each, and incidents of migrants on mopeds attacking randomly in the streets marked an escalation in recent months.
While insisting that he is “not happy” with the state of crime in the city’s subways, Adams added that his measures have worked.
He cited a 15 percent drop in subway crime in February compared to January, and said “there will be increases from time to time.”
The PIX11 hosts responded that there has been a 13 percent increase in violent crime in the subway compared to last year.
“We’re doing a combination of things,” Adams said.
‘We put 1,000 uniformed (NYPD) members into the subway system after we saw the surge in the month of January. We saw results from that.”
Adams added that New York Governor Kathy Hochul has been an “incredible partner” in their efforts. It was announced Wednesday that her office would deploy state resources to stem the crime wave.
This will see nearly 1,000 new officers stationed on the streets, made up of 750 National Guard troops and 250 additional MTA and State Police officers.
Adams is deploying more police to police stations across the city and cited repeat offenders for fueling the crisis. She noted that 38 people were arrested for a staggering 1,126 attacks on MTA workers in 2023, while 542 people were arrested last year for more than 7,600 theft offenses.
Adams appeared with NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper, who doubled down on the measures Adams is pushing and said the abundance of cameras in subway stations now acts as an additional deterrent.
“Those cameras have tremendous value,” Kemper said. And they are all over the subway system. Literally thousands of cameras. “Those cameras are a deterrent.”
“Our police officers are visible, they ride the trains, they are standing on the platforms, they are at the turnstiles,” Kemper said.
“We have plainclothes police throughout the subway system in each district 24 hours a day.”