Gov. Kathy Hochul is dropping the ball on Big Apple subway safety, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman said Sunday — citing a Friday night transit stabbing on the Upper West Side.
“Criminals know they can get away with violence in Kathy Hochul’s New York,” Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, said in a statement. “These attacks didn’t just happen; they were allowed to happen because of Hochul’s soft on crime policies.
“Cashless bail, raise the age, erased criminal records, and soft sentences have created a system where criminals know they can strike again and again without facing real consequences. When people are stabbed in the middle of rush hour, it’s obvious the system is out of control and leadership is failing.”
He cited the attack on a 23-year-old straphanger, who was stabbed in the back in a random attack on a No. 1 train platform at 96th Street and Broadway around 7 p.m. Friday.
The victim was taken to Mt. Sinai-Morningside Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Blakeman also mentioned a similar attack earlier this month at the Union Square station, where a 45-year-old passenger was also stabbed in the back by a brute who fled the scene.
Not noted by the pol were two other subway attacks on Saturday, when a 38-year-old man was stabbed on a No. 6 train at Grand Central Station around 5 p.m., and a 15-year-old was slashed in the back at the 42nd Street station just over an hour later.
However, the recent attacks come as NYPD stats show historic lows in transit crime in the five boroughs.
Last week, Hochul announced a $77 million state investment to beef up police patrols and install safety equipment at city subway stations, with Mayor Eric Adams, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and MTA CEO Janno Lieber all chiming in on the press release.
In a statement Sunday, Hochul campaign rep Sarafina Chitika took a shot back at Blakeman, who became the early GOP frontrunner for governor after President Trump’s endorsement nudged US Rep. Elise Stefanik out of the running late last week.
“Donald Trump said it best: Bruce Blakeman is ‘MAGA all the way,’” Chitika said. “’He’s sold out Nassau and tied himself to Trump’s toxic agenda at every turn — backing policies that raise costs, gut health care, and undermine abortion rights.
“New Yorkers don’t elect MAGA extremists that bow down to Trump and make their lives more expensive — which is why Backup Blakeman has lost every statewide race he’s ever run, just like he’ll lose next November,” the statement said.
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