Two Brooklyn pols, on Monday, January 4, announced that legislation they penned to curb criminal activity on the New York City transit system had been signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The new law – sponsored by State Senator Marty Golden and Assemblymember James Brennan – will require the New York City Police Department to report to the New York City Council any and all criminal conduct that occurs on subways and buses. The reports, they said, will include the police precinct, the type of crime and the specific subway line or bus route.
“The information gathered will help direct resources to target patterns of criminal activity on a certain bus or train routes,” said Golden, a former cop, who represents a swathe of Southern Brooklyn. “I am confident that this new law will bring about a change in the way in which we fight crime on our transit system, making it safer for all those who travel.”
Brennan, who represents parts of Flatbush and Park Slope, agreed.
“This bill will provide law enforcement with the information they need to allocate resources and stamp out this criminal activity,” he said. “We have to change the culture that excuses sexual harassment as an annoyance and instead treat it like the crime that it is.”
Reports will be filed electronically after which they will be compiled into monthly reports. Those reports must then be made available to both city officials and to the public.