NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The NYPD says felony assaults on subways and buses are up 13% so far this year.
Transit reps are again pleading with the city to help provide additional mental health resources and more policing, CBS2’s Alice Gainer reports.
This comes after another woman was shoved onto the subway tracks — the fifth person so far this year.
“We have begged for help and we continue to need it,” said interim NYC Transit President Sara Feinberg.
With push after push happening in the subways, the latest happening Tuesday morning in the Bronx, Feinberg testified before the New York City Transportation Committee oversight hearing.
“Right now, the city doesn’t let substance abuse or mental health specialists come into our system and help people. We are ground zero for folks who are having a mental health crisis,” Feinberg said.
She says mental illness is often the root of the violence and has been asking the city to allow people to call 311 from the subway to report someone who may need a social worker before they turn violent and 911 needs to be called.
Right now, no matter what, Feinberg said, “the 311 operator says, ‘I can’t help you, you’re just gonna have to call the police.’”
The city previously announced a pilot program in two precincts that would send mental health teams instead of NYPD to certain 911 calls, which has also drawn sharp criticism.
In the meantime, MTA chairman Pat Foye says the agency is calling out for additional police resources.
“We’re putting more police where they need to be,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
While riding the subway Wednesday, CBS2 asked the mayor how the city is addressing mental health concerns in the transit system right now.
“We’re kind of in a charade here if we think the way to handle mental health is just when it is reached it’s worst point. We have got to deal with this at the foundation,” de Blasio said. “If we’re really gonna solve the problem, it involves mental health screening in the schools early.”
Some riders described what they’ve been seeing and experiencing.
“People that are mentally ill are very unpredictable, so I feel a little less safe,” said John Fulton.
“There are a lot of people sleeping on the subways,” another person said.
“I feel pretty safe in the subway,” another person said.
The chairman of the transportation committee says he wants the city and the state to work on this problem together.
CBS2 reached out to both but have not heard back.
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