The head of the MTA is seeking to reassure riders that the subways are safe after a string of recent incidents, including a woman attacked with a bag of human waste. NBC New York’s Adam Harding reports.
While officials in New York work to respond to issues of crime within the city's subway system, a handful of leaders have targeted their efforts to a specific incident that saw one public transit rider attacked with feces.
A lawmaker who represents Harlem is taking pen to paper and drafting legislation that would make similar attacks involving human waste, like the one at a Bronx subway platform last month, a felony.
State Assemblywoman Inez Dickens announced her intention to push forward a bill to amend the penal law for aggravated harassment in the first degree to include the "unconsented and intentional transfer" of bodily fluids onto another person.
"None of us should have to put up with someone throwing feces or any bodily fluid at you for no reason - other than they picked you out and decided they’re gonna throw bodily fluids," Dickens said.
In addition to the vile Bronx subway incident, Dickens cited the attack of a transgender person in Harlem back in December of last year. The assembly member said the victim was harassed while waiting for a train and had a cup of urine thrown at them after exiting the car.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
MTA Chair Janno Lieber toured the Bronx subway station where the woman was attacked and thanked the transit workers who rushed to help the victim.
News
"What that woman went through, no one should go through," Lieber said Friday. "I spoke to her today and she's incredibly appreciate of what the MTA team did when she went through that terrible experience."
"Broadly speaking, the MTA is safe, if you look at the numbers, but there have been some real high-profile incidents that have shaken riders' confidence," he added.
Some of those numbers, according to the NYPD, are on the rise. The department saw 55 major crimes in transit last week, up 30% from the week before and more than 200% from the same week last year.
The city says so far in week one of their new subway safety plan, more than 18,000 station inspections have been conducted. More than 450 people have been ejected from trains, while 22 have been coaxed into relocated to shelters.
