A bunch of Congress members, together with three from New York Metropolis, pressed the MTA for solutions in a blistering letter Wednesday about why the cameras have been malfunctioning throughout final week’s horrific subway assault in Sundown Park — particularly when the company has hundreds of thousands in federal dollars for safety.
When accused gunman Frank James opened hearth on a crowded N prepare on April 12, wounding 29 individuals, together with 10 who have been shot, malfunctioning surveillance cameras on the thirty sixth Road station hindered cops’ manhunt, sources advised The Put up.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber blamed dangerous “web connection” for the delayed retrieval of surveillance footage and stated the media was flawed to deal with the defective digital camera techniques.
Reps. Ritchie Torres, Yvette Clarke and Hakeem Jeffries all signed the letter, together with 10 different members of Congress, addressed to Lieber.
“As you're conscious, Congress elevated the Transit Safety Grant Program [TSGP] funding by $5 million to $93 million within the just lately enacted Fiscal Yr 2022 Omnibus spending bundle,” the letter solely obtained by The Put up stated, including the grant program supplied the town’s public transportation system “nearly $50 million” in 2020 and 2021.
“How has the MTA utilized TSGP funding traditionally, and notably during the last two fiscal years?” the letter requested. “How a lot TSGP funding has been particularly allotted for the MTA’s digital camera system, together with upkeep of the system, set up of cameras and updating the cameras?”
The letter additionally requested how usually the cameras are audited by the MTA or a third-party, and what kind of timeline the company has to deal with recognized issues.
“With a median of over 2 million day by day riders, the subway system is the lifeblood of New York Metropolis. Though the suspect accountable for this assault has been arrested, it's crucial that now we have techniques in place to maintain riders protected and guarantee assaults like this by no means occur once more,” the pols wrote.
Transit officers boasted final yr that the MTA has cams in each station, however many stations, together with the thirty sixth Road station the place the assault occurred, don’t have cameras pointed at platforms.
Final week’s tragedy wasn’t the one time MTA cameras failed victims. Chris Anguisaca, who was stabbed within the eye on an A prepare on Feb. 14, stated cops advised him subway cameras don’t work north of a hundred and ninetieth Road — which the MTA has since denied.
Anguisaca, 19, stated the suspect fled when the A prepare pulled into the Dyckman Road station.
“There must be cameras, particularly within the prepare station,” he stated.
Rebecca Lamorte, 30, advised The Put up that she’s been attacked on the subway twice and advised each instances the cameras weren’t working.
The pols made their message to Lieber clear: “Given the disturbing and continued rise of subway assaults this yr, we write to induce you to be extra clear relating to how your company makes use of Federal funding to safe the subway system and shield riders.”
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