New York MTA appoints criminal defense attorney to assist employees and customers | Metro Report International

USA: New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority has appointed Kathryn Falasca as its first criminal defense attorney.

As an experienced criminal defense attorney, she will work with law enforcement, prosecutors and community organizations to assist MTA employees and customers in the investigation and prosecution of individuals accused of committing crimes against them.

“My goal in this new role at the MTA is to serve as a mediator between the region’s public transit system and the region’s courts, and to advocate for transit employees and customers who have been victims of crime while on the job or commuting to work,” Falasca said Aug. 26. “Safety on the transit system is our top priority, and we work tirelessly to ensure that violent offenders on our subways, buses and railroads are brought to justice.”

MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said, “Our customers say they want to be safe and feel safe, and it is critical to keep repeat offenders – who disproportionately commit crimes on subways – off transit. Katie Falasca is the right person with the right background to work with the justice system on behalf of riders and transit workers.”

The Transit Authority reports that crime in the New York City subway has steadily declined since the pandemic. July was the sixth consecutive month with a double-digit decline in incidents on the subway system.