MTA unveils 7 priorities for 2022, says increased NYPD presence helping with crime

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NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — The MTA on Wednesday released its seven priorities for 2022, including delivering better service and promoting safety and respect.

MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said increased police presence in the subways is working to reduce crime in the public transit system.

In 12 hours overnight, NYPD officers found loaded guns on people in two instances while enforcing MTA rules.

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One was recovered on a person walking between train cars Tuesday night, while the another fell out of the jacket of a person lying intoxicated on a platform early Wednesday morning.

“There’s an incident last night that illustrates that this may be having a positive effect,” Lieber said. “At around 8 p.m., transit police officers patrolling the J train saw a man breaking the rules by moving between the cars. That’s prohibited because so many people have lost their lives literally falling between the cars. It’s a safety rule. He ran. He was apprehended, and they recovered a loaded .22 firearm. that was on the train.”

Lieber says forces outside of the MTA’s control are also contributing to crime, including the safe injection site in Washington Heights that he says is pushing heroin users to the 181st Street Station to shoot up when the facility closes.

“Our customers are letting us know they don’t feel safe” Lieber said. “They’ve read about high profile attacks on our workers…Customers are seeing people breaking our rules of conduct, evading the fare, smoking, lying down across the entire bench, drinking, and they don’t feel comfortable.”

He said improvements have been made, but more needs to be done.

“We are no means out of the woods,” he said. “There is a lot of progress that needs to be made with subway safety, I just want to acknowledge the work has begun.”

The MTA said its seven priorities are:
1. Deliver Better Service
2. Promote Safety & Respect
3. Increase Appeal for Customers
4. Achieve Financial Stability
5. Strengthen & Expand the Network
6. Operate a 21st Century Bus System
7. Revive Talent & Culture