A Democratic gubernatorial hopeful said New York’s Penn Station was a “scary environment” due to crime and homelessness as the city experiences an uptick in crime.
Rep. Tom Suozzi said he has never seen conditions as bad as they have become recently and called on New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul to meet and try to address the situation.
“I’ve been coming in and out of the city my entire life. It’s never been this bad. I came here the other day. I personally was scared. I know people that say they will not come into the city for dinner or for a show because they’re scared to come,” Suozzi said during a press conference Wednesday, the Villager reported.
The New York Democrat, who represents a competitive congressional district on Long Island, cited a survey that indicated riders felt conditions at the station reached “an all-time low.” The survey found that the top concern among riders was the prevalence of panhandlers and homeless people at stations, according to Newsday.
Adams, a former police captain, has vowed to tackle the city’s high crime rates when he assumes office on Jan. 1, defending his plans to ramp up police presence despite pressure from the Left.
But Suozzi suggested that Hochul, whom he hopes to unseat through his 2022 gubernatorial bid, is out of touch with the increased crime in the area because she never lived in New York City.
“She’s never commuted on the Long Island Railroad,” he said, according to political reporter Morgan Mckay. “She’s got to come here and see this facility and walk around.”
Suozzi also said the infrastructure at the station was outdated, adding he hopes funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill will help modernize the city’s rail infrastructure.
New York City has experienced an increase in crime amid a national trend in cities across the United States. It reported 100,730 total crime complaints so far for 2021, up from 94,916 in 2020, according to the most recent data from the New York Police Department.
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Suozzi announced his bid for governor on Nov. 29. A recent Sienna poll showed him trailing Hochul with 6% support compared to her 36% support. The poll was taken Nov. 29 to Dec. 3 among 785 voters and had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
Suozzi, who served in Congress since 2017, ran unsuccessfully for New York governor in 2006, when he lost the Democratic nomination to Eliot Spitzer.
