New York Politicians Assailed for Soft-On-Crime Approach as Subway Incidents Continue to Rise
Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa has lambasted New York politicians for their handling of the city’s rising crime problem, saying their solution is to “give everybody who goes into the subway a bulletproof vest and give them an individual police officer like Eric Adams.”
Sliwa’s comments come as the city’s politicians, including Governor Kathy Hochul, face criticism for their response to the surge in crime on the subway. According to the New York Post, murders on the subway are up by 60%, with eight people killed in September alone, compared to five in the same period in 2023.
Sliwa criticized Hochul’s plan to install security cameras and deploy 1,000 National Guard members to patrol the subway cars, saying it’s not enough to protect New Yorkers. He also took aim at District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who he claims is responsible for releasing repeat offenders back onto the streets.
Sliwa’s comments were made in response to the recent case of a 57-year-old woman who was burned alive on a subway car as bystanders watched. Sebastian Zapeta, a previously deported immigrant from Guatemala, was arrested and charged with murder and arson in the case.
Sliwa, who founded the Guardian Angels more than 30 years ago to bolster public safety, has deployed volunteers back to the subway following the recent killing and is calling for more to be done to protect New Yorkers. He said that everyone is in danger on the subway, and politicians are not doing enough to mitigate the threat.
The Guardian Angels founder has also been critical of the city’s treatment of the homeless and emotionally disturbed, saying that officials are failing to provide adequate support and instead are leaving them to live in squalor on the subway.
