Police union boss tells MTA riders they’re on their own amid violence uptick

The head of the NYPD’s largest union issued a stark warning to subway riders Friday amid the recent rash of shoving incidents by unhinged assailants: You’re on your own.

PBA President Pat Lynch accused lawmakers of preventing cops from doing their jobs and advised straphangers to “keep both eyes wide open” to avoid being victimized.

“The politicians have made it abundantly clear that they don’t want cops enforcing transit system rules, connecting the homeless with services, engaging with seriously mentally ill people or doing any of the things necessary to prevent these terrifying random attacks,” he said.
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“That is their choice to make, but who is replacing us in those roles? Right now, nobody.”

Lynch added: “While our elected leaders are closing their eyes and wishing the problem away, we recommend that all New Yorkers keep both eyes wide open while in our transit system.”

Meanwhile, another NYPD union official pointed to the costly mental-health program run by Mayor de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, which has come under fire for suspect spending and questionable results.

“ThriveNYC seems to be a scam and has done nothing to address the mentally ill,” Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins said.

Mullins also predicted that, “The only chance of stopping the violence lies in the hands of Transit Chief [Kathleen] O’Reilly, who truly cares about the people of this city, her officers and doing what is right.”

“The NYPD should give her unlimited resources to help make the subway system safe again,” he said.

The dire messages came a day after a 40-year-old woman was shoved onto the tracks and into the path of an incoming train at Manhattan’s 14th Street-Union Square station around 8:30 a.m. Thursday. She narrowly escaped death.

It was the second incident of its kind in as many days and the fourth since Oct. 19.

Transit Workers Union official Eric Loegel called the spike in shoving attacks “a very disturbing trend” and blamed de Blasio for not doing more about the homeless and mentally ill people living in the subway system.

“This mayor seems very disengaged with what’s going on in his city,” said Loegel, vice president of Rapid Transit Operations for TWU Local 100.

And in a recommendation that’s reminiscent of the NYPD’s “broken windows” policy, MTA board member Andrew Albert suggested a crackdown on fare beaters.

“I’ve been riding a lot lately, and I see it everywhere. It’s like the thing to do now,” he said. “If 10 percent of the people that are committing these crimes paid their fare, I would be surprised.”

Stephen Eide, a social policy expert at the conservative Manhattan Institute, said there the city should be keeping closer tabs on the non-profit agencies it pays to care for mentally ill people — and providing the public with relevant data.

“Whenever there’s a subway pushing or a random attack, what mental healthcare service provider is being challenged to be held accountable for that?” he said.

A de Blasio spokeswoman dismissed Lynch’s remarks, saying, “There are people who work hard to keep the subways safe and then there is Pat Lynch, who actively roots for a more chaotic, violent city.”

“He cannot be taken seriously on public safety and his latest words are insults to the people he supposedly represents,” spokeswoman Avery Cohen added.

City Hall didn’t respond a request for further comment, but Cohen said Thursday that the city was “committed to using every tool to promote safety and connect people with mental health needs to treatment.”

With additional reporting by Nolan Hicks