On Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) held a press briefing on her administration's efforts to reduce subway crime.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Leading an organization that has been down and out, and now it's back, and I'm so proud
00:06to say that we've achieved so much together over my last three and a half years to empower
00:11the MTA to head on a path that they know is sustainable and delivers the highest quality
00:16service to the people you care the most about, and those are our commuters.
00:19Let's give a round of applause to Jana Lieber here today.
00:23Michael Kempner, our Chief of Security, thank you, Michael, for finding every possible way
00:28that we can to protect our commuters, our riders, our visitors.
00:33Superintendent Stephen James, thank you for responding whenever I need you.
00:39You've been asked to do the extraordinary, whether it's helping with gun interdiction on the streets
00:45to calming down prison strikes and right here in our subway, so I thank you and all the
00:51members of our state police team for the extraordinary work you do every day.
00:55Brigadier General Isabel Smith, the Director of Joint Staff and Commander of the National Guard.
00:59I want to thank the National Guard for their presence here, making people feel calmer and
01:04safer.
01:05I've heard that from moms who literally come up to me and say, I feel a lot better having
01:08my child go to the subway when I see more people in uniform, and you help make that happen.
01:13Let's hear it for our National Guard and our MTA police, our state police, and to everyone
01:18who cares so deeply about the success of this subway system.
01:23It may be overstated, but this is the beating heart of this city.
01:27This is what sets us apart from all others.
01:30Getting people anywhere they want to go within minutes, it's extraordinary.
01:36And beneath, every day underneath these towering skyscrapers and their busy streets, millions
01:42of people for every walk of life come together.
01:44They head off to work, they head off to school, they visit families and friends, they go to
01:48doctor's appointments, and they experience all the wonder that this city has to offer.
01:54But I'll tell you this, when I first took office three and a half years ago, this system
01:58faced a triple threat.
02:00First of all, subway crime was raging, absolutely raging, I would say as an aftermath and outgrowth
02:07of the pandemic, of which we know we were the epicenter for the nation.
02:11Ridership was down, it was absolutely lagging, and the MTA faced a looming fiscal crisis that
02:17threatened to bring this system to a screeching halt.
02:21Those were real challenges, but we were undaunted.
02:25We knew we needed to lean hard into them and find solutions that would work.
02:30So we secured significant recurring funding to save the MTA from literally going off the
02:36fiscal cliff.
02:37We got it done a few years ago.
02:39And we took bold, decisive action to protect riders.
02:42And you see it, as I mentioned, with the presence of law enforcement on the platforms and in the
02:48trains.
02:49You see it in the National Guard presence.
02:51And you see it in the new platform barriers and cameras docked in every single subway car.
02:56And I want to say, we had a goal to get it done in a few years.
02:59And I want to thank the MTA for rising to the challenge I put out and said, no, we're
03:04going to shave off a lot of time.
03:05I want a camera in every single train so people feel secure and our law enforcement can reach
03:12and find and prosecute the lawbreakers.
03:15So we made some real progress there as well.
03:17Now, subway crime now is down 16% compared to 2019.
03:24Why do I go back to 2019?
03:26I subtracted out the higher years of the pandemic because otherwise this would be a lot bigger
03:31drop.
03:32But I want to deal in realities.
03:34What was the world like before the pandemic when people were not so anxious about going
03:38on the subway?
03:40We are now down 16% compared to 2019.
03:44And just from last year, when we'd already started seeing dramatic downward trends, we're
03:48still 11% lower than last year at this time.
03:52So ridership continues to rise, ticking up 7% year over year.
03:57But I'll say this.
04:00I more than anyone know there's still more work to do.
04:04Just last week, a man was stabbed to death on the 5 train right in the middle of rush hour.
04:09A galling attack that's shocked so many riders.
04:14That's proof.
04:15That's proof we still have more work to do.
04:17I acknowledge that.
04:19And in January, I came here and outlined a plan to ramp up our efforts.
04:24I vow to fund the state funding for the first time in history, not just MTA police, not
04:31just state police, but funding the MTA, picking up the costs of the MTA.
04:35So there's two NYPD police officers on every overnight train.
04:41When you see the police officers, NYPD on those overnight trains starting at 9 o'clock
04:45at night till 6 a.m., that is the New York State taxpayers working hard to make sure that
04:50this lifeline of our economic heartbeat is still viable and thriving.
04:56So we did that.
04:57We also vowed to make more security upgrades.
05:00And I vowed to end the insanity of violent criminals getting off with crimes because of
05:07technicalities, whether it happens on the subway or happens on our streets.
05:13And I vowed to keep people who have severe mental health problems, who are in our subways,
05:22on our streets.
05:23I said, we vowed to get them off these city streets and subway stations and in our trains
05:28and get them into a hospital bed where they can get some help.
05:32I thought it was cruel to abandon them.
05:35Yes they have civil rights, of course they do, but some people don't have the mental capacity
05:40to make decisions for their own health and well-being.
05:43How do we abandon them?
05:45That's not what a civilized society does.
05:47And we said, no more.
05:49And I'm proud to say with our new budget securely in praise, almost done, we delivered on these
05:54promises.
05:55And when it comes to public safety, I refuse to back down, absolutely refuse to back down.
06:02So let me break down what we accomplished.
06:05First, an additional $45 million for Joint Task Force Empire Sheared.
06:10That's our National Guard.
06:12We want to make sure they're funded and can remain here.
06:14This is the elite unit that protects New York City, including our subways.
06:18The National Guard members you see are an important part of that.
06:22$77 million in this year's budget to make sure we can continue funding those NYPD on
06:29the overnight trains.
06:30These officers really are the unsung heroes.
06:33Those late night rides have to be stressful, sometimes you walk into a car and you don't
06:38know the unknown.
06:39It's a frightening dynamic and I want to thank them.
06:41Because they're protecting the nurses and doctors who are on the midnight shift, the
06:46cooks and bartenders who clock out late, and all the people who have to rise before
06:50the sun, our construction workers, our bakers, our baristas.
06:54These are the people who keep our city running and we must keep them safe.
06:59We also, as I mentioned, are taking the steps to take care of those languishing with mental
07:03health problems.
07:05And I will say this.
07:06We're going to make a difference in their lives.
07:08We're going to make sure they get the help they need.
07:10But we couldn't do it up until now.
07:12Here's why.
07:13Because we didn't have the system in place to care for them.
07:18Because of decades of disinvestment in our system, our health care system, our mental
07:23health system, that we didn't have enough beds.
07:26We didn't have enough practitioners.
07:28We didn't have enough people with long-term strategies and supportive housing.
07:33And I'm so proud after the first billion dollars of investment I made back when I was brand
07:38new governor, we are now positioned to be able to give these people the help they need.
07:42That's why we can welcome them in and take good care of them.
07:46We're also strengthening Kendra's law to ensure those with serious mental illness receive consistent
07:51treatment in the community so they don't fall between the cracks.
07:55We're also investing 30 million dollars in our homeless outreach teams, these safe option
08:00support teams.
08:01My God, they're doing God's work every single day.
08:03You see them, I've come to thank them.
08:06And they're so compassionate.
08:07And they don't give up on anybody.
08:09They believe that everybody has value and they want to help them achieve their full potential
08:14despite how hard life has been for them.
08:17These are compassionate public servants who've helped over 1,000 New Yorkers escape lives on
08:22the street and find, get this, permanent housing.
08:271,000 people who are long-term chronically homeless right here now have a home to call
08:33and make sure it's a safe place for them to rest their heads at night.
08:36Because you know what?
08:38It's not just about public safety for all of us.
08:40It's about human dignity and giving people what they deserve.
08:45As I mentioned, we reformed our criminal justice laws because while a lot of people aren't
08:51quite sure what discovery laws are, and that's okay, what happens under changes that were
08:57made back in 2019, I will say this, and I've said this from the beginning, there were many
09:01changes that were necessary.
09:04The system was absolutely skewed against the defendants.
09:09And that was unfair.
09:10But we also know that the pendulum has swung way too far, and now the defense lawyers are
09:16unable to lie in wait, literally the night before a case is supposed to be presented and
09:20raise objections that a judge must say, based on the law, you mustn't have this case dismissed
09:26now because the clock has run out.
09:28Or if there's minor technicalities and the cases are legendary, you hear the reasons that
09:33cases are thrown out, whether it's a crime in the subway or a domestic violence incident.
09:38We want to make sure that people do not escape because of a senseless loophole that we have
09:42now fixed.
09:44That's how you start making people safer.
09:46That's how you hold people accountable.
09:49And if you wear a mask to hide your identity while you're committing a crime, you'll face
09:55an additional charge.
09:57That's important because we've seen in the subway people masking themselves trying to evade
10:02the cameras that we put in place.
10:05But if you're hiding under a mask, how are our police supposed to identify you and make
10:09sure you don't hurt somebody else the next day?
10:12This is another force for ensuring that we have public safety.
10:17But also, here's the music to Jano's ears.
10:20We are fully funding the $68 billion capital plan.
10:24And I want to thank the leaders in the legislature for working hard with me.
10:33It's been an interesting, always an interesting process, but we're also making sure through
10:39that we're also upgrading $1 billion more in crucial physical security upgrades.
10:45So what we're going to do, we'll have platform barriers at 100 additional stations, LED lighting,
10:50I want them brighter, I want people to see, and we'll also continue swapping out the aging
10:55turnstiles, guess what?
10:57Ones that are hard to evade, ones you can't hurdle over or crawl under.
11:01So we're going to be getting those out there, so those shameless ferry-vaders, and everybody's
11:05doing this, who create unnecessary stress and chaos for the other riders who are actually
11:10doing what they're supposed to do.
11:12So we're going to stop them as well.
11:13We're also going to make sure the MTA, we're fully funding their repairs.
11:17And something that's near and dear to my heart, since I proposed it a few years ago,
11:21is to do the Inner Borough Express once and for all, the money is there, because as much
11:26as we love Manhattan, people trying to go from Brooklyn to Queens should not have to make
11:30a stop here first.
11:31Let's inject some common sense into our residents' lives and let them have the quality of life
11:36they deserve and less time traveling from one borough to another.
11:40Making ADA, stations ADA accessible, and enhancing service to and from the Hudson Valley.
11:47So we're going to continue with these goals, and I'm always looking forward to partnering
11:50with the MTA as we go forth for the years ahead to make good on all these financial commitments.
11:56But mark my words, I will do everything in my power to ensure that the people of this
12:01city and this state are safe, and I'll put the investments where they need to go, I'll
12:05make the changes in the law where it's necessary, because we won't stop until every single
12:09person has what they deserve, the right to be safe in their homes and their communities
12:13and on our subways.
12:15Thank you very much.
12:16Let me hand this now over to Jana Lieber, the chairman and CEO of the MTA.
12:20Governor, you said it all, but more important, you did it all.
12:28You did it all for six million people who depend on this MTA system to get to work, to get to
12:37school, to get to health care every day.
12:42More people than the national aviation system carries every day by a lot.
12:48And you've changed their lives in terms of the transportation piece, but as we're here
12:53to talk about today, you've altered the safety equation.
12:57And their confidence of safety in the system, we hope, will follow.
13:02We know we have a long way to go, you said it right, but as the numbers change and as
13:08the experience changes, people's minds and hearts, we hope, will follow.
13:13And that sense of safety that is so important to be able to really take advantage of New
13:17York needs to be restored.
13:22Let me just say the MTA has been excited and hugely supportive of what you've done in perhaps
13:29the most high profile and controversial issue, which is the discovery law changes.
13:35We have people who are, as you say, recidivists, who commit crimes in the MTA system and they
13:43do harm to our workers and to our riders, and they're back again and again.
13:49And part of that is the technicalities of the discovery law.
13:52We all know it, which is why you were joined by the DAs in saying we've got to change this
13:58law.
13:59And now we're doing it.
14:00And we are thrilled to support you in that area.
14:06Your commitment to deploying police officers on the overnights.
14:11Every rider, we do surveys all the time at the MTA.
14:14They're not polls, they're actual rider surveys.
14:18And what every demographic, every income level, every neighborhood, every rider group tells
14:25us is, I want to see more cops.
14:27And you know when they want to see more cops, especially on the overnight, when there are
14:32a little fewer people there and they feel a little more at risk.
14:37And lo and behold, we are seeing surges in ridership.
14:41And part of that is attributable to the increased sense of safety that your investment in police
14:48presence, which is especially dramatic on the overnight when you see a cop on the train.
14:55And we're seeing ridership up, up, up this year, 8% this year.
14:58Now, some people want to ascribe that all to congestion pricing.
15:03But if you look at the numbers, there are 130,000 people who are driving.
15:07If we're getting a slice of those folks onto subways and bus and commuter rail, that's great.
15:13But that's not what's driving the MTA of growth and ridership.
15:17It's the economic comeback of the city, which transit was key to, and your investments in
15:23safety.
15:25And we're having, you know, I just got to echo one thing you said.
15:29I don't want to go on too long, is the cameras.
15:33The cameras now, we have an unbelievable camera system.
15:35We have 130,000 cameras in the system.
15:39Not only because of your investment, in a single year were we able to make sure every
15:44subway train, no matter how old it is, now has two cameras on it.
15:49Two cameras on every train.
15:51And that horrible incident that took place, God forbid, the first homicide of the year
15:58in the MTA system.
16:00But we had video on the train.
16:02The cops had video on the platform.
16:04They had video at the turnstile.
16:06And that's why that assailant knew he had to turn himself in, because it was all over.
16:11The cops were on to it.
16:13We've moved station agents out of the booths, where not only are they helping riders to navigate
16:18the system, but they are functioning in tandem with NYPD and your officers as eyes and ears
16:25for safety and providing that sense of presence.
16:28We have hundreds of unarmed guards at the turnstiles and at the exit gates who have helped achieve
16:36what you've done, what we've done together, which is a 30% reduction since last summer
16:40in fare evasion on subways.
16:42And fare evasion isn't just an economic issue.
16:44That's a morale issue.
16:46That's a, at the gate, at the door to this system, you want to feel like it's safe and
16:52there is a place where people follow the rules and you have some confidence in it, and you
16:58helped us to accomplish this.
16:59And then you talked about the mental health component.
17:03That is the thing that is having a disproportionate impact on the riders' sense of safety in the
17:09system.
17:10It's secret that that population is having a disproportionate impact on the sense of safety
17:16and order in all of our public spaces, and they need to be helped and into treatment.
17:20And with your changes to the involuntary commitment law, we have confidence that that will change.
17:29So you talked about the results.
17:31The numbers are down, 16% versus where we were before COVID, 30% fewer attacks on our employees,
17:39the public servants who are making the system operate.
17:42Now we do have, you keep saying it exactly right, we have a ways to go to get New Yorkers'
17:47confidence in public safety, in the subway safety, in transit safety back.
17:53But boy have we made strides, and boy are we making strides.
17:57And I have, you know, tip of the hat to your leadership in this area and so many others.
18:02Thank you, Governor, and thank you on behalf of the riders.
18:05All right.
18:11Who's calling the questions?
18:12Kempers here.
18:13Okay.
18:14So.
18:15Questions?
18:16Yeah.
18:17Is Chief Kempers supposed to speak?
18:19Uh, if you will.
18:20I wouldn't do it if you prefer.
18:21It's some of the same material.
18:22Okay.
18:23Do you want to say anything?
18:24Do you have any questions?
18:25Yeah.
18:26Okay, go ahead.
18:27Okay.
18:28Good morning.
18:35I, uh, you heard a lot about the cameras, you're gonna hear a little more from me also
18:41in my remarks.
18:42And the reason being is because coming from a law enforcement executive, they're gold.
18:49Uh, and they pay dividends every day.
18:52And law enforcement relies upon them.
18:54Good morning and welcome to, uh, uh, Grand Central Station where every day, uh, countless
18:59New Yorkers and visitors pass through here on the way to work, the way to school, and
19:05on the way to see all that this city has to offer.
19:09Mass transit is the lifeblood of New York City.
19:13And this administration, under Governor Hochul's leadership, has been clear from day one that
19:19the safety of New Yorkers, especially our communists, remains our top priority.
19:25In my former role, leading the men and women of the NYPD's Transit Bureau, I had the unique
19:31privilege, a front row seat, if you will, to see firsthand the efforts and the commitment
19:37between Albany and City Hall towards a safe mass transit system.
19:41It was under the governor's and chairman leader's leadership that we were able to deliver a camera
19:48network that didn't just cover every subway station, but a camera system that now covers
19:54every subway car.
19:56Again, 100% of all subway cars in the New York City subway system are outfitted with cameras.
20:04And that worthy investment has already paid countless dividends, offering tremendous investigative
20:09value to our law enforcement partners, while instilling public confidence and acting as
20:15a deterrent to would-be criminals.
20:18Beyond this smart and highly effective investment, this administration has done so much more, including
20:24the support which was mentioned by the chairman and the governor, and the funding for additional
20:29NYPD deployments on trains, specifically during the overnight hours, a welcomed and reassuring
20:36presence for our riders during their overnight journeys.
20:40These investments, among others, along with the hard work of the men and women of the NYPD
20:47and the MTA Police Department, translated into a promising reduction in subway crime this year.
20:54NYPD data shows that overall crime for the first quarter of this year was down 18.1% versus first
21:02quarter 2024.
21:05In fact, overall crime for Q1 2025 was at its second lowest level in recorded history, surpassed
21:14only by the pandemic year of 2021.
21:18This significant achievement includes the lowest number of first quarter robberies since subway
21:24crime was recorded, down 25% versus last year, down 36% versus 2023, and down a staggering 84%
21:35versus 1997 when I wore the uniform of an NYPD sergeant.
21:41The MTA has also made strides when it comes to safety infrastructure under this administration.
21:47To name just a few, and was mentioned updated and brighter lighting for our stations.
21:52The installation of safety barriers on platforms, modifications to turnstiles to reduce fare
21:57evasion.
21:58And we have taken steps to improve the safety of our workforce, as the chairman mentioned,
22:03such as our commitment to install video cameras in every conductor cab, as well as the chairman's
22:09hiring of the MTA's first ever criminal justice advocate.
22:14I've often said that although the police are the most visible part of the criminal justice
22:19system, there are other stakeholders involved whose actions and decisions have far-reaching
22:25impact on public safety.
22:26It's so true.
22:28There must be meaningful consequences that hold criminals responsible for their actions.
22:34For without consequences, where is the deterrence?
22:38And where is the deterrence for our crime victims?
22:41Mechanisms ensuring an accused one's rights are respected must be rooted in common sense and
22:48not burdened by technicalities or unrealistic time frame for prosecutors.
22:53That's why the governor's push to change discovery laws is so important to the mission of advancing
22:59public safety.
23:02And look, I can go on and on, there's not enough time.
23:05This is a topic that's near and dear to my heart.
23:09But know this, everyone listening.
23:13As encouraging as the crime statistics are, and they are, we remain focused, recognizing
23:21our work is far from finished.
23:23But here we are yet again at Grand Central Station collectively as a team to reaffirm our
23:29commitment to the safety and prosperity of all.
23:39All right, questions.
23:40We're tight on time here.
23:41We're going to have one for those we can get to.
23:43Let's go to Marcia Kramer, CBS2.
23:45Marcia.
23:46This is a question for both the governor and Jano.
23:49It has to do with congestion pricing.
23:51As you know, the federal transportation secretary has said that if the cameras aren't turned off
23:56by May 21st, he's going to cut funds to transportation for New York and for the MTA.
24:04What plans are you making about the contingency if he actually follows through with his threats?
24:10Let me address this in a couple of ways and I'll let Jano wrap up.
24:15I don't know why, with all the responsibilities that the secretary of transportation has, including
24:23preventing train, plane and helicopter crashes, that's under his jurisdiction, that they're
24:30so focused on a locality's decision, a city and a state that want to control their own
24:38traffic.
24:39I mean, they talk about states' rights.
24:42This is our right to make decisions on how we want to manage the flow of traffic, but
24:47also execute on our priorities, which is reduce congestion in a city that is critically important
24:53to the economic health, not just of New York, but the nation.
24:56And it's working.
24:57So as more time goes on, we are able to show them more data that counters their initial perceptions
25:04that this is a place of lawlessness, that crime is out of control, that the cost is stifling
25:11development and hurting everybody.
25:13Their perception is wrong, so we're going to continue trying our very best to open their
25:19eyes to the reality that congestion pricing is working.
25:24Traffic is down, congestion is down, and revenues are up.
25:32And the cameras are staying on.
25:34I've said it month after month after month, and I'll say it until I'm blue in the face.
25:39Come sit with us.
25:40Look at the data.
25:42See how impactful this has been, probably beyond anyone's wildest expectations.
25:45I was walking the streets of New York again yesterday, and another woman came up to me
25:49and she says, I thought I was going to hate congestion pricing, but I actually like it
25:54now.
25:55I think that's the view of a lot of people, even people coming in from New Jersey who had
26:00a lot of hair on fire moments over this and making us spend money in court that we all
26:06won rather handily.
26:10And now they're telling me my ride is 15 minutes shorter, it's 20 minutes shorter, it's 30 minutes
26:15shorter.
26:16More people are coming in from the suburbs to go to Broadway and the restaurants because
26:20it's not such a hassle.
26:22The cab drivers and Uber drivers who are deathly afraid of this said, wait a minute, I'm actually
26:27making more money because the lack of traffic means that I can get around faster and get
26:32more fares.
26:33So what I'm going to do, and be as patient as I can, is to continue to show the data, explain
26:41them why this is working, and why they should really focus on other priorities that I would
26:46think that the United States Secretary of Transportation ought to be worrying about.
26:51And Governor said it all, all I would add is Marcia, we're confident that as a legal matter,
26:58they can't use coercive measures to resolve something that's in front of the courts.
27:04So let's let it be resolved by the courts, we're confident, we're going to continue to
27:08win.
27:09As I say, we've won in every court east of the Mississippi and let's let it be resolved
27:13that way rather than them trying to coerce something with threats about money and otherwise.
27:21They can't do that.
27:22And we're sure that the courts will back us up on that.
27:24All right.
27:25No, no.
27:26We've got to move on.
27:27Next question is Stephanas Chen down there.
27:28We're going to win in court.
27:29I'm not, we're going to win in court.
27:32The New York Times.
27:33Hi, Governor Hochul and Janel.
27:35Thank you for this.
27:36The question Governor Hochul is with the, sorry, not here.
27:40The plan is fully funded, but there is a question of the $3 billion that the MTA is expected
27:46to put together through savings.
27:49There are a few options for that, but have you discussed with the MTA where that likely
27:52is to come from, is part one.
27:54And quickly, a second question is in your address you mentioned also that there's a potential
27:58to put mental health facilities in the subway and underground.
28:02Could you just elaborate on whether that is something you're going to pursue?
28:05Right.
28:06On the first question, we're not saying find $3 billion in savings.
28:11It turns out that $150 million in savings can be bonded and leveraged for $3 billion more
28:18in improvements.
28:19And I am very confident under Janel Lieber's leadership, as we've had to do before, tighten
28:26the belts, find efficiency, and we're going to continue seeing more revenues come in as
28:31our fair evasion strategies are unfolded and in every station.
28:35So those are the areas where we feel confident they'll be able to do this, as they've done
28:39before.
28:40It's a shared sacrifice.
28:42Everybody has to give here because the alternative is unfathomable.
28:48Not to have a fully functioning, funded, efficient system to carry 6 million people a day.
28:55It's just not an option.
28:57Second part of the question?
28:58The question of whether or not you support putting mental health facilities in the home
29:03hospital, these were just little welcome centers.
29:05We have people who have been here for many, many years.
29:10In order to persuade them to leave, and these are not the ones that would be covered under
29:14our new law.
29:15Our new law is different.
29:16It covers people who already covered people who are in risk of doing harm to themselves or
29:21others.
29:22Automatically, they can be taken to a hospital and evaluated.
29:27What we've added now is a new category of people who don't have the mental capacity to take
29:33care of their own personal needs.
29:36Whether it's making sure they're taking medication, whether it's making sure that they're getting
29:39food, making sure that they're getting clean clothes.
29:43So this is someone who clearly demonstrates they do not have the mental capacity to do this.
29:47So this is a smaller subset.
29:50There are others that we want to have communications with, and it's all about relationship building.
29:55And I've seen this in person.
29:56That's how we got 1,000 people, and some of them had been living on the streets for five,
30:02six, seven years.
30:03They had to develop a relationship, so we're going to put in some welcome centers, let people
30:08have a place to go to, get warmed up, take care of them, and then be persuasive in saying,
30:13now, we have a better option for you.
30:15Let's get you evaluated.
30:16Let's get you care.
30:17Let's get you medication, and we'll keep an eye on your recovery once you've been discharged
30:22from the assistance we're providing you.
30:25So I don't want to have a one broad covers everybody, because everybody is unique and
30:31has a different reason in why they're here.
30:33We're not talking about just people who are homeless, who find themselves on the streets.
30:37We're not talking about someone who just doesn't wash their clothes.
30:41I want to make sure that people know we're talking about people who do not have the mental
30:44capacity to take care of themselves.
30:45But we also know that many of them are here, and we want to be able to greet them where
30:49they are and manage this and get them to move on.
30:53Do you know exactly what they're going to be, Jano?
30:56Okay.
30:57There's just going to be a few of them in places where our support teams can gather and build
31:04reinforcements and also go out and plan their strategies so they have a centralized place
31:09to go to.
31:10All right.
31:11Moving on, Governor, if we could direct you to the Loge section back there.
31:13That's Newton Jones, Burkitt III from Channel 7, Eyewitness News.
31:17Tim, thank you.
31:18To Chief Kemper and to the Governor, if you would weigh in on this also.
31:22As I recall, felony assaults have remained stubbornly high.
31:26I'm wondering where you are with respect to felony assaults.
31:30And, as I recall, the victims of felony assaults have been police officers and transit workers,
31:36largely.
31:37So where are we on those numbers, and how are you addressing that category in particular?
31:42I just say that you're absolutely right, Newt, that the growth in felony assaults, which
31:49has, we've brought down, we've actually started, we've pushed that back.
31:53It was growing at a much faster rate.
31:56A lot of it is attributable, we just got to be honest, we're doing more enforcement.
32:00The NYPD is doing more enforcement, and there are more interactions that result in something,
32:05in somebody who got stopped for fare evasion, for example, whacking a cop, or even worse.
32:12That is a big driver of what we're doing.
32:15And we want to protect our transit workers, and assaults on transit workers are down 30%.
32:21So we are pushing back hard against those two stubbornly high numbers, and I think we're
32:26making progress.
32:27But with the Governor's discovery changes, this is a category of crime that is especially
32:33relevant in that discovery change, because if somebody attacks a police officer, it's supposed
32:38to be a felony.
32:39But frequently it's being knocked down, or even let go, because of this problem of the
32:45technicalities that Governor's discovery initiative addresses.
32:50So we believe that the people who commit those types of crimes are going to see more consequences
32:55as a result of the law.
32:57That's what we're shooting for.
32:58All right, let's move on.
33:00I just want to say on that, we don't want anyone to harm our police officers, our law
33:06enforcement.
33:07They put themselves at risk every single day.
33:09And also our transit workers, conductors who've been assaulted, we know the stories.
33:16Last year I worked hard to get the law changed so there's enhanced penalties for someone who
33:20assaults an individual who works for the MTA, these people who are in exposed positions.
33:25So we'll see more cases brought on that.
33:28But Jano's absolutely right that it's the volume of police officers, so the number of
33:32police officers there, there's going to be higher risk.
33:35But if you subtract that increase in that number out, that says the overall number related
33:40to commuters is lower.
33:43And we need to be honest in our characterization of the statistics.
33:47Yeah, we'll get you the number, Newt.
33:49I think it's about 30% of the assaults are against police officers.
33:52We'll get you the number.
33:53Bernadette Hogan is here in New York City from New York One.
33:56I sure am.
33:57Governor, with the mask penalties, do you think that the MTA should start recording and releasing
34:03those statistics to see, you know, how bad that problem is in the system?
34:07And also, do you agree that New York should legalize assisted suicide as the Assembly passed
34:12that bill a couple days ago?
34:14Bernadette, I'm going to give you an answer.
34:16You've been hearing from me for three and a half years.
34:18The legislature acts, they pass it in both bodies.
34:22I have until the end of December to assess and evaluate all their decisions.
34:28And as customary, they drop about 800 to 1,000 bills on my desk in June every year.
34:35I take the time necessary to evaluate.
34:38And as you know, I never talk about what I'm going to do until I do it.
34:41I need the time to process.
34:43I spend a lot more time on bills over that six-month period because it's important because
34:47when I put my signature on a bill or a veto pen is brought out, it has bigger consequences.
34:53So I'm aware of that weight.
34:55And that's why I'm not going to prepare to give an answer at this time, but all will tell.
34:59What was the other half?
35:01On the mask wearing.
35:02Do you think that the MTA should start recording this?
35:04Recording what?
35:05For people that commit a crime or are menacing, and anybody that would fall under this new
35:10blanket, if you're wearing a mask and you're menacing, right?
35:14That's not a stat, I don't believe, that's recorded or provided.
35:17Oh, you're talking about calculating, so you'll see the underlying crime has to be committed,
35:21and these are people that are, this is an enhancement to an underlying crime.
35:24So those crime statistics will be calculated, and then we'll see the results of whether
35:29or not there's an enhancement brought by the DAs.
35:31The DAs would make the determination on whether or not it fits the law.
35:34So we're not going to see that figure, we're not going to say, hey, this is how bad it's
35:38been in the system.
35:39Jano, do you want to add that statistic to your numbers?
35:43I think we'll certainly make available, it will be part of a charge that the DAs will
35:50determine based on evidence that somebody wore a mask, rather than, it's not a separate
35:55act, it's part of the felony crime or the misdemeanor crime.
35:59Okay, and I just want to be clear, this is for a person wearing a mask, covering or otherwise
36:04obscures their face completely or partially for no legitimate purpose with the intent
36:08to prevent their identification or apprehension in the arrest of such a crime.
36:13So we can talk about how we want to characterize that going forward.
36:16All right, next up, right next door, Rye Rivard is from Politico, Rye.
36:20Governor, you talked about the population you're focused on with involuntary commitment,
36:24but could you talk a little bit more in detail about how that will work?
36:28Yes, we're going to make sure that there's training, and I work with the legislature to
36:33make sure that we have, whenever possible, that the determination is made by a mental
36:39health professional or a healthcare professional.
36:42Now, in the city of New York, that is often customary, because when you think about an incident,
36:46the NYPD will more likely than not be calling an ambulance EMT to come, and they will be able
36:53to help make that assessment.
36:55It's not the practice across the state in smaller communities where it's volunteer firefighters,
37:01volunteer EMT.
37:02But in a city like New York, the expectation is, I think our law says, whenever practicable,
37:09which is customary here, that it's not just law enforcement making the determination, it
37:14is also a healthcare professional.
37:16Then that person will be transported to a hospital, and you need not one but two healthcare professionals
37:22to make the determination that this person would benefit from time in the hospital to
37:28get the diagnosis and the treatment plan, and that's what we're hoping for.
37:32But there's a lot of give and take with the legislature to make sure that there are
37:35no abuses of people's rights.
37:37We're very sensitive to that.
37:39But also, I think we have a right to take care of people and an obligation to take care
37:44of people.
37:46That is our responsibility.
37:47And the other people who are also sometimes victims of assaults by someone who's in the
37:52throes of a mental health episode, who can't control their behavior, they shouldn't be victimized
37:57either.
37:58So I think this is a strategy that's going to result in healthier New Yorkers, more people
38:03getting the care they need from a compassionate system, but ultimately making our streets and
38:09subways safer as well.
38:10All right.
38:11We've got time for a couple more.
38:12Julia, Papa there, 10-10 wins on 92.3.
38:15Julia.
38:17Very good.
38:19So just to follow up on that, these welcome centers, are they including beds?
38:23No.
38:24Like, no.
38:25Okay.
38:26So is that just for like a 24-hour stick?
38:27It's an intake conversation you can have with someone and talk to them about services that
38:32are available to them and how to get them the help they need, just to take them out of the
38:36stream.
38:37So you don't have to have this conversation with thousands of commuters around, dial down
38:43the stress of it for everybody and have it in a place where you can have more positive
38:48outcomes.
38:49Yes.
38:50And also, will you be adding more mental health teams to the system?
38:53Yes, we are.
38:54Yes, we are.
38:55That's part of the strategy.
38:56We're working on the numbers right now.
38:58Okay.
38:59All right.
39:00Let's go to Evan Simcoe-Bidnarski right there in the center from the New York Daily
39:02News.
39:03We already quadruped with the number of teams, which is how we got from, and I was tracking
39:07the numbers like a hawk.
39:10First time we announced this, you know, a couple of hundred people, we got 500 people.
39:14You know, we hit a thousand people that were long-term homeless in our subways.
39:20They're in a far better place right now.
39:24And I feel good about that.
39:25Good morning, Governor.
39:26Good morning.
39:27Happy May Day.
39:28Yes, it is.
39:29Quick question for you.
39:31The Chief Kemper has said, and he said today and has said before, that crime on the subway,
39:38major crimes on the subway are, you know, depending on how you count the pandemic, potentially
39:42at the lowest level in about 15 years.
39:44Meanwhile, you have a regime in Washington that seems to be cherry-picking stats, specifically
39:49felony assaults and others, and creating the sense that there is a perception that the
39:54subway is a wild place.
39:56You, yourself, have mentioned before that this is as much about perception as it is
40:00about the stats.
40:02All due respect to the Guard, how does putting soldiers who don't have police powers downplay
40:07the idea that this is a wild place?
40:11Oh, I don't think that's the perception.
40:14I think it shows that we're taking people's safety very seriously.
40:18That I will leave no stone unturned.
40:20Every power that I have vested in me as the Governor of New York, and that includes the
40:24ability to deploy the National Guard for a presence that I think has been calming.
40:30I think it's driving people's views, and you do all these customer surveys, people are
40:36feeling better than they had been before.
40:38And so, to everyone who, you know, there were plenty who criticized putting the National
40:43Guard in, but also, you know, our enhancement of having police officers on every train, I
40:48think, other than the law-breaking part of our population, they feel good about that.
40:53And that's from people, you know, anecdotally, I don't like to say anecdotes because the press
40:58always says, let's go find that one person.
41:00I can't find that lady from the street yesterday.
41:02But I did get phone calls from people immediately afterward.
41:07People saying, I feel a lot better about my mom using the subway.
41:12It's a psychological change in how people feel.
41:15When they see someone in a uniform, they feel they're going to be okay.
41:19And it's that basic sense of security that I think every human being deserves.
41:23And they didn't have it for a long time.
41:25And not everybody has it right now.
41:27But I'm going to keep pursuing that objective.
41:30All right.
41:32We're going to Andrew Siff from WNBC with the great Justin Lau behind the camera today.
41:37Andrew.
41:38Quick point and then the question.
41:40The quick point is this funding only goes through June.
41:42Is that correct?
41:43Do you have the $77 million?
41:45Is this year's budget so it goes through June 30th?
41:48Is that correct?
41:49We use money from last year's budget to cover the first half of the year.
41:52We'll continue to find the money.
41:54We had $77 million last year.
41:56I had a takeout of extraordinary unbudgeted.
41:58I said this time we're going to put it in the budget.
42:00But I think it's working.
42:02When I put money in for a program and I say it's working, I'll put it in.
42:05If I put money in a program and it's not working, I'm not wasting taxpayer dollars.
42:09Got it.
42:10So I wanted to share with you a message I got from a rider.
42:13This is someone who took the six, transferred to the F.
42:17I was typing a letter for work.
42:19A homeless guy came into the car, was aggressively asking for money which no one was offering to him.
42:24He stood over me and I know better than to make eye contact.
42:28I kept typing my letter but instead he yelled and spit on me.
42:32It was scary and disgusting and I filed a report with the MTA.
42:36I know it will go nowhere but I want them to know the homeless are getting more and more aggressive.
42:40She then sent a message to me, I'm not taking the subway after rush hour anymore.
42:45I just wonder what your reaction is.
42:47No, that's painful to hear because I don't want anyone to feel that sense of anxiety.
42:51That's what I've been fighting.
42:53And I have six million riders.
42:55And there are people who are causing these incidences that are creating this sense of vulnerability.
43:01It's real, I'm not dismissing that.
43:04And we're working on it.
43:06We're working on it.
43:07And I said in my state of the state that the subway should not be a rolling homeless shelter.
43:13We're putting more money into all kinds of housing programs, supportive housing.
43:17But someone who has aggressive behavior, do they have an undiagnosed illness that we as a society, as a state, should be finding out and getting them medical treatment?
43:29Because that's not normal behavior, to walk up and threaten someone.
43:34Is it someone who just does that because that's their nature to do that, they want to do that?
43:39Or do they have a mental health challenge that they can't control their anger that medication and treatment could help them with?
43:47That's what we're getting at here, at a very human level.
43:50Chief Schell, have anything to say on it?
43:53Any other comments on an individual like that?
43:55How do we?
43:56No, I mean, look, the governor answered it.
43:58And I've been vocal about this topic.
44:01That's very unfortunate.
44:03I have letters saying the opposite.
44:05It doesn't negate the message you got.
44:08You know, I have people telling me, what are people talking about?
44:11The subway system is amazing.
44:13You know, an incident like that is unfortunate.
44:17And we're working hard, and we have made progress on reducing those types of incidents.
44:26And I spoke about this in Nordstrom.
44:29And we're going to get even better with the funding and with the improvements that the governor and the chairman just spoke about.
44:37All right, Sam Liebman from New York.
44:39Andy, you just heard from the voice of God.
44:43Passenger safety is important to us.
44:45That's the voice of God.
44:47Hey, Sam, right behind you.
44:51So, just back to the officers overnight.
44:55So, there was $77 million in the budget.
44:58So, you are going to continue to fund it past June, because initially you said for six months.
45:03So, it's going to go past June.
45:04We're going to continue working with the city of New York.
45:06Obviously, this is an expense that is customarily on the budget for the mayor.
45:12They needed help.
45:14We said that this is an area where we think it needs to happen.
45:17We will provide the funding.
45:19The mayor of New York is doing his budgeting right now.
45:22So, this is something we collaborate on.
45:24But my goal is to make sure that we keep the subway safe.
45:27This system is working.
45:29The crime is down on the overnights, which is where people are most vulnerable, because there's fewer people on the trains.
45:35And these are people that are, again, they might be ending a night shift after, you know, being a nurse all day long.
45:41They're exhausted.
45:42They're not paying attention.
45:43And this is their only way of getting around.
45:45So, those are the people whose voices I hear in my head, and I want to take care of them.
45:49So, I'll continue that funding and making sure that we have the resources, whether it's through the city or the state or combined.
45:56Just on the $3 billion that the MTA has to find cost savings, isn't it going to be a little bit harder this time around because of tariffs and inflation?
46:06Will they have to bond that?
46:08No, I don't think they're going to find $3 billion in savings in their operations.
46:12It is absolutely going to, you know, this is part of the bonding strategy.
46:15When you look at how you're going to achieve $68 billion in a five-year capital plan, bonding is critically important for that.
46:24But also, for our purposes, they're…
46:27Hello, everyone.
46:28This is a reminder that it's against the law to smoke or drink alcohol.
46:32Don't do that either.
46:33And if you do want to be fined, receive a civil penalty or be asked to leave the premises.
46:42Thanks, God.
46:43So, we have something like $10 billion of rolling stock.
46:48Now, what is happening because of tariffs?
46:51A lot of that's made in the North Country.
46:53It's an economic engine for the people in the north part of our state, the northern part of our state.
46:58If the costs go up, how does our $10 billion?
47:01It may get us fewer trains.
47:03I mean, these are…
47:04This is part of the collateral damage that we're only starting to calculate now as a result of the Trump tariff taxes.
47:11And that's all it is.
47:13So, everything that the state touches, everything that the MTA touches, it is going to be more expensive for these manufacturers in our state to give us the rolling stock
47:22that we need to replace the antiquated trains that we have now.
47:26So, these are some of the unpredictable measures, but we have to make sure we get the $68 billion done, the $150 million in savings.
47:34A lot, I think, can come from savings and fare evasion with our new technology, which I'm using money to make sure happens.
47:40That's part of the strategy.
47:42But it's an enormous budget, without a doubt.
47:45But there are…
47:46This is what happens when, for decades, no governor had the guts to say we're going to do this because it is a huge undertaking.
47:57And I'm always willing to take the tough decisions.
48:00It's been the hallmark of my career.
48:02To say, enough is enough.
48:04We have to invest the money now, because otherwise, the costs will be dramatically higher,
48:09or we could have this system crippled, and the summer of hell still gives all of us nightmares.
48:14Right?
48:15We're not going back to that time.
48:16All right.
48:17Thanks, everybody.
48:18Thank you so much.