NYPD, MTA Begin Removing Homeless from Subways

April 29, 2020 — NYC police officers at ten stations removed the homeless from subway trains early Wednesday morning in a new joint initiative between the city and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The aggressive action follows years of advocacy by TWU Local 100 and the members for the city to more aggressively tackle the problem of the mentally ill and homeless camped out in the system. That advocacy, including a flurry of newspaper and television coverage, intensified during the COVID-19 crisis.

In some instances, the police, accompanied by social and medical workers, mandated individuals go to either a hospital or a homeless shelter. Others were directed to just exit the station.

TWU Local 100 will continue to monitor the program but it’s clearly a step in the right direction.

“This is what we’ve been calling for all along,” Local 100 President Tony Utano said in a statement to the press. “An effort like this can definitely make the job a lot safer for transit workers. The mentally ill and homeless have been a problem for many years - and transit workers have suffered greatly. My members have been harassed and assaulted by unstable riders countless times. Since the pandemic, they’ve also have had to worry about getting the virus from people camped out in the system who can’t practice good hygiene.”

Utano continued: “I’m glad the mayor is finally allocating police resources to the issue but it’s a shame it took so damn long.” The program should be expanded and made more permanent, Utano said.

Read the Daily News article here.