Democrats Would Rather Embrace Crime Than Prevent It
By Betsy McCaughey
Wednesday, June 18 2025
Though arrests are infrequent, 45% of those arrested for farebeating in 2023 were already wanted for other crimes, and about 10% were carrying weapons. Clearly more farebeating enforcement would make the subways safer.
Pro-crime Democrats are propelling New York toward anarchy and financial ruin.
The seven candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for Gotham's mayor unanimously oppose increasing penalties for farebeaters. That includes frontrunners Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani. Their refusal to crack down on farebeaters – all by itself – disqualifies them for the city's top job.
These pols do not regard law-abiding New Yorkers as their constituents. Instead they're siding with criminals and left-wing ideologues who excuse crime as a side effect of society's imperfections.
Stopping farebeating keeps dangerous criminals out of the subway, explains Ray Kelly, the longest-serving New York Police Department commissioner. "In previous administrations, proactive fare evasion enforcement has been a powerful tool in reducing overall subway crime."
Thieves and assailants don't swipe a card to get to the trains before preying on riders. Their first lawless act is jumping the turnstile. And many have rap sheets.
https://cfif.org/v/index.php/commentary/61-state-issues/7293-democrats-would-rather-embrace-crime-than-prevent-it