Hochul, Adams not on the same page after video of teens fighting transit cops in subway
NEW YORK - Mayor Eric Adams is demanding Gov. Kathy Hochul call an emergency session of the legislature to reform criminal justice laws after two 16-year-olds were freed without bail after brutally assaulting two transit cops who stopped them for fare evasion.
The video shows the teenager punching the cop, and even getting the officer in a headlock.
CBS2's Marcia Kramer reports that despite the upsetting nature of the video, pleas for state action from the mayor and the head of the police union fell on deaf ears.
While Hochul decried the attack, she is apparently also aware that in the heat of a hotly contested reelection campaign, calling a legislature resistant to changing the laws would turn into a political embarrassment.
"Anyone who saw that video of that attack on those two police officers, it has to outrage you. By a person who was previously arrested for robbery," Adams said.
"No one has the right to assault a police officer, and in a case where there is a prior offense and someone is already out pending trial under our bail laws, they should be held," Hochul said.
It might seem like Adams and Hochul are on the same page after watching the disturbing video of a fight between two NYPD officers and two 16-year-olds. It shows the boy punching the officer, wrestling him to the ground, and even getting him into a headlock, or a choke.
But Adams and Hochul are not on the same page.
"When I say we're the laughing stock of the country, this is what I'm talking about," Adams said.
The mayor wants the governor to call lawmakers back to Albany this summer, while crime is rampant, to redo both the state bail law and the raise the age law that allows defendants under 18 to be sent to family court.
"We're saying let's reexamine the bail laws in the area of violent offenders," Adams said.
With assaults on police officers skyrocketing - year-to-date through July 17 before this latest attack - 914 cops have been attacked, compared to 686 during the same period last year.
The police union is also demanding action.
"Every perp knows they can fight a cop and get away with it," said PBA president Pat Lynch. "No one is going to jail. We are releasing these criminals to the streets literally within hours, before the paperwork is processed. And we're not being dramatic when we say it literally is a revolving door at this juncture."
But Hochul, who was able to get some changes to the bail laws this year, is between a rock and a hard place. Her Republican opponent, Rep. Lee Zeldin, says bail reform didn't go far enough, and there's no appetite in the legislature to do more.
She's blaming the judge.
"There have been significant changes," Hochul said.
"Are you saying the judge didn't understand the law?" Kramer asked.
"I'm saying I'm trying to understand what the thought process was. Was it a normal judge, a weekend judge," Hochul said. "My understanding is the law we put in place was to do deal with repeat offenders."
Exacerbating the situation is the teenager in question in this case has not one but two prior arrests this year. In addition to robbery, police say he was also arrested for possession of a loaded gun.
The state Assembly speaker said the mayor's request is not necessary because pre-trial detention can be sought in family court under the current law, meaning the decision to release the 16-year-old suspect was made by the judge.
Watch Ali Bauman's report
While the mayor and governor clash over policy, some New Yorkers are giving up on the subway altogether.
Cynthia McKnight used to commute by subway to work from East New York, but lately, she opts for a taxi.
"For me to go to work, it's $25. Taking the subway is $2.75," she said.
"But it's worth it for you right now?" CBS2's Ali Bauman asked.
"It's worth it for me now because it's not dangerous," McKnight said.
New data shows crime in the city's transit system is up 53 percent compared to this time last year.
The NYPD is still looking for a suspect who they say stabbed a rider on the 2 train Sunday night and another suspect who police say pushed a commuter onto the tracks at the Park Place station.
"We do need an all-hands-on-deck approach," said Danny Pearlstein, of Riders Alliance.
He believes increasing service would make people safer on the platforms.
"The safety issues are much broader than public transit, but as far as how frequent the service is, that's something the MTA and the governor can do working together," he said.
"They should have more police on the subways," McKnight said.
Despite the NYPD's efforts to add patrols in the subway system, the number of shooting victims in transit is up 650 percent compared to this time last year -- that's 15 victims this year compared to two last year.
Robberies and assaults are also up compared to last year. Rapes in transit are on the rise, too. There have been seven this year compared to two in 2021.
