By Hank Russell
Assembly Republican Leader Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) and GOP members of the Assembly held a press conference on April 29 at the Capitol in Albany to introduce “Ride Safe, Ride Secure,” a legislative package focused on public transportation safety. They were also joined by Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt (R,C,IP-Lockport), members of the Senate Republican Conference and former federal prosecutor and candidate for attorney general Saritha Komatireddy.
They said the legislative initiative is the result of a surge in crime and high-profile violent incidents on public transit in New York, including the death of an 83-year-old veteran in March, who was pushed onto subway tracks by a man allegedly in the country illegally.
Ra said the data tracking these crimes on subways and buses from the beginning of 2026 is a cause for serious concern. Already, nine people have been pushed onto subway tracks since the beginning of the year. Additionally, there has been a 21% increase in robberies through April 5 compared to the same time period last year, and assaults are up 60% in comparison to data from before 2019. Assembly Republicans believe the millions of New Yorkers relying on public transportation to get to work, go to school and live their lives deserve to do so safely.
“Democrats can continue pushing people toward public transit, but that effort will never succeed if the system is plagued by crime,” Ra said. “If we fail to act in the face of what’s been happening, it’s not only disappointing, it’s outright negligent. The safety of our public transportation system must be addressed, and it starts with these Assembly Republican-proposed bills.”
“Albany Democrats have proven they don’t take public safety seriously, as they continue to champion legislation favoring criminals and strip away any sort of meaningful punishments, leaving little to no deterrent for committing thefts, violent assaults, and other dangerous crimes on our mass transit systems,” Ortt added.
In response to the public safety outcry from concerned residents, the Assembly Republican Conference introduced a comprehensive package of bills to restore rider confidence and ensure public transportation remains a safe and reliable part of the community. The legislation includes stricter penalties for criminal offenders and greater protections for riders.
Among the bills in this package are the “Penny for a Hero Good Samaritan Protection Act, ” introduced by Ari Brown (R-Cedarhurst). The bill — named after Daniel Penny, the ex-Marine from West Islip who resorted to lethal force to take down an attacker — would protect individuals who intervene in emergencies to save lives from legal consequences, as long as actions are reasonable, proportional and in good faith. Local sponsors include Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead), David McDonough (R-Bellmore), Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Smithtown), Joe DeStefano (R-Medford) and Keith Brown (R,C-Northport).
“Less than six months into Zohran Mamdani’s term as mayor, and New Yorkers are already feeling the disastrous effects of the so-called ‘warmth of collectivism,’” said Ari Brown. “Robberies and assaults on public transit are both up, and now, an 83-year-old veteran is dead because of state Democrats’ pro-criminal policies. Until Albany chooses to act on initiatives like this, we will continue to see these numbers rise on our public transit.”
Jarrett Gandolfo (R,C-Sayville) has two pieces of legislation in this package:
- The State-federal Immigration Cooperation Act, which would prohibit the governor from preventing state agencies/law enforcement from working with the federal government to enforce immigration laws. Local cosponsors include Ari Brown, McDonough, Ra, Fitzpatrick, Michael Durso (R-Massapequa Park), John K. Mikulin (R-Massapequa) and Jake Blumencranz (R-Hicksville). Steven Rhoads (R-Levittown) introduced a Senate version of the bill.
- “Laken’s Law,” which would require the state to notify ICE upon the arrest, conviction or release of a non-citizen. The bill is named after Laken Riley, a nursing student who was killed by an illegal immigrant in 2024. Local cosponsors include Ari Brown, Durso, DeStefano, Keith Brown, McDonough, Giglio, Ra and Blumencranz.
“Republican leaders in the Assembly and Senate have been fighting for the safety of New Yorkers on our transit system, and I’m proud to stand with them in supporting this package of legislation,” said Komatireddy. “Every day these bills sit idle is another day New Yorkers are left unprotected on their way to work, school, and home. Transit crime is not just a New York City issue — it affects communities across our state, from regional rail lines to bus systems that families rely on every day. We have a real opportunity right now to act. Albany should take it.”
“The violent crimes being committed on our public transit systems, especially the subways, is unacceptable,” Gandolfo said. “New Yorkers deserve to feel safe every time they ride.”