MTA's Request For More Police on City Buses Is Not The Answer

Brooklyn, NY; March 26, 2019–Following this morning’s report of the MTA's request for increased NYPD officers to be placed on city buses, State Senator Andrew Gounardes (D-22SD) released the following statement:

"The MTA's blame game on fare evaders and subsequent plan to place more police officers on city buses misses the mark. The only thing criminal about our mass transit system is that riders are being asked to shoulder more and more of the burden of increasing fares and subpar service. Rather than criminalizing poverty and placing already overburdened police officers on already overcrowded buses, the MTA should be focusing on expanding all-door boarding options on all bus lines, which has already been shown to limit fare evasion on SBS routes. We need mass transit that moves people, not one that seeks to lock them up."