As increased security brings more cops to Penn Station, MTA cops are facing more assaults and attacks. The New York Post reports that in the past year, 10 cops were attacked and a total of 21 were assaulted; in 2013, no cops were attacked. Only eight were assaulted.
During this time, Governor Cuomo also increased police presence in Penn Station by 30 to 50 percent due to terrorism and safety concerns, the Post reports. The combination of increased policing and intoxicated people, says MTA Police Benevolent Association head Michael O’Meara, has led to more physical confrontations:
“We’ve had more police officers assigned to Penn Station– and we’ve had more interactions and more arrests.”
He said many of the assaults last year stemmed from suspects attacking cops during collars.
Booze has also played a role in sparking violence as well. “In the evening hours and weekends, there are a lot of intoxicated people coming through transportation facilities, and that creates problems,” O’Meara added.
(Photo: Joe Shlabotnik)
