Editorial
Bending toward justice
At the start of a weekend celebrating
the life of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., we were reminded once more
that we have miles to go to fulfi ll his dream
of equality for all.
That reminder came in the form of a lawsuit
that New York state Attorney General
Letitia James fi led against New York City
and the NYPD over police brutality that occurred
during last summer’s George Floyd/
Black Lives Matter protests.
In her extensive case, James outlined that
too many of the offi cers on patrol during the
demonstrations simply went too far —from
bashing people with batons, to pepperspraying
individuals without provocation,
to “kettling” marchers on the street, sealing
them in a perimeter and leading to standoffs.
In a much more damning light, many offi
cers seemed to target individuals based on
the color of their skin. One Black protester,
Andrew Smith, said an offi cer walked past
several white marchers, pulled down his
mask and doused his face with pepper spray,
though Smith said he did nothing to provoke
such a reaction.
As news of the lawsuit hit, Mayor Bill de
Blasio and the NYPD came out in defense
of their actions, and recommendations
previously made following probes by James’
offi ce in the summer, and the city’s Department
of Investigation last month.
They repeated once more a commitment
to reforming policing, but argued that the
lawsuit James fi led won’t bring about reform
any faster.
For years, we’ve heard promise after
promise of corrective measures at the NYPD
to end police brutality and racial injustice
—yet both problems persist today
It took a federal court order for the NYPD
to fi nally stop employing “stop-and-frisk”
tactics. That also brought about the renewed
approach to community policing which kept
crime down while improving police-community
relations.Under James’ reasoning, it might
take another federal court order to fi nally get
the NYPD to change its protest-response
tactics. But why let it get to that point?
The NYPD should work in concert with
James’ offi ce to settle the case and implement
the reforms needed to keep future protests orderly,
and all protesters and police offi cers safe.
It’s not an impossible objective to achieve,
provided we work in cooperation with one
another —and remind ourselves, as Dr. King
said, that “the moral arc of the universe is
long, but it bends toward justice.”
Op-ed
Interim New York City Transit President Sarah Feinberg.
COVID-19 vaccine
effort underway for
NYC Transit workers
BY SARAH E. FEINBERG
While most of us are eager to leave
2020 behind, this past year will
never be far from my mind.
Turning a new page on the calendar can’t
erase what we have been through: losing
friends and colleagues, surviving illness,
and our city changing forever.
I took over as interim president of New
York City Transit just as the COVID-19
pandemic gripped New York and we have
been battling it ever since.But the men and
women of New York City Transit have been a
relentless source of inspiration through it all.
When so much of normal life disappeared,
the Transit workforce stood strong.
They came to work and did their jobs day
after day, putting their own fears aside to
serve essential workers and other New
Yorkers.
And as if that wasn’t enough, they also delivered
on a truly impressive slate of projects
against all odds – from adapting our system
to the realities of COVID to refi ning countless
schedules to fi nishing 11 ADA accessible
stations, the list of accomplishments is long
and varied. I couldn’t be prouder.
And I know New Yorkers are proud too.
Our year-end customer surveys showed an
incredible 7-point increase in overall satisfaction
with subway service compared to the
year before, with an overwhelming 76% of
respondents saying our unparalleled cleaning
and disinfecting efforts make them feel safe
when using mass transit.
I have no doubt Transit will continue to
step up in 2021. We’re starting this year off
with a massive campaign to vaccinate our
workforce, who last week became eligible
for inoculation under Phase 1b of the State’s
distribution plan. It is our goal to ensure that
every employee who’s willing and able can
get the COVID vaccine in the coming weeks,
starting with those on the front lines.
The MTA is working hard to set up onsite
vaccination centers where workers can
receive their shots, similar to our nationleading
diagnostic testing program.
But for this to make a difference, we need
everyone to get vaccinated. Simply put, it’s
the best way we can protect ourselves and
our families going forward.
Ensuring the safety of our workforce
and the safety of our system has been my
highest priority since taking the helm of
Transit almost one year ago. In addition
to the vaccine rollout, most recently these
efforts have focused on securing additional
NYPD presence in our system following a
string of disturbing attacks on workers and
customers. I’ve also asked the city to do more
in response to the mental health crisis that’s
playing out across the fi ve boroughs, and by
extension, our transit system.
There will always be more that we can
do to improve security, and I promise to do
everything I can in 2021 to create a more
positive environment underground and on
our buses. New Yorkers deserve nothing less.
Sarah E. Feinberg is interim president of
MTA New York City Transit.
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