How long must cities suffer with capricious illegal withholding of necessary funding?
NEW YORK CITY — Governor Kathy Hochul called out the Trump administration on Thursday over denying the MTA of $34 million in counterterrorism funds.
“I’m going to be clear on what is happening in Washington — they are defunding the police, full stop,” she said at a press conference with MTA officials. “They can not argue with the fact that this funding helps the police and protects our communities.”
The MTA has been denied a $34 million Transit Security Grant from the Department of Homeland Security, which has been historically been used to purchase equipment like security cameras, improve cybersecurity and support local law enforcement.
Hochul said out of 21 other applicants, New York was the only state denied.
“We have been singled out. This is reckless, it’s dangerous, and it’s illegal,” Hochul said. “We need this money restored.”
The federal funding supports a number of intelligence operations, bomb squads, security at sensitive targets like houses of worship and equipment purchases.
Hochul said that they’re demanding that these funds be released.
“It is the federal government’s obligation, and to pull that money away that funds actual cameras and NYPD and MTAPD operations seems nuts,” MTA Chair Janno Lieber said.
Lieber noted that this summer was one of the safest in the city’s subway system history.
The Transit Security Grant was created in the wake of the Sept.11 attacks.
Attorney General Letitia James has previously announced that her office is taking legal action to restore funding.
“Taking these capabilities away from the busiest and high threat subway system in the country is a profound mistake,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
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