The New York Daily News has learned that the MTA wants judges and district attorneys to help ban certain criminals from the subway.
MTA Chair Janno Lieber on Monday called on authorities to enforce an existing ban on people convicted of sex crimes on the system or of assault on transit employees, which hasn't been used to date.
New York state judges have the power to bar people from public transit for up to three years if they are convicted of sex crimes.
The law was championed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
In a letter to New York state district attorneys, Lieber said the statute was too narrow. There is no reason why rider-on-worker assaults are banned.
Commuters are looking over their shoulders due to the growing number of subway attacks.
Judges Anthony Cannataro, Lawrence Marks and Kathie Davidson were asked to forward the call for enforcement to judges in the MTA's service area.
The MTA boss asked district attorneys to promote a policy of "pursuing transit bans in appropriate cases, including via plea agreements."
There are no cases in which courts have used the ban authority. There has been a steady stream of high-profile crimes in the transit system.
NYPD statistics show that subway crime is up 40% this year. There have been 431 felony assaults so far this year, a 17% increase over the same period last year.
A group of terrified children stood watching as a violent shove from behind broke David Martin's collarbone on Friday.
A man died after falling at the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave. station during a fight with a stranger.
On Saturday, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to deploy 1,200 additional cops underground and armed guards at certain stations.
Hochul promised to increase the number of MTA and NYPD officers on trains and stations.
Adams wants the subway to be a safe place for everyone. The people are saying that they don't feel safe. Visibility in the system is important.
That's right, that's right.
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