Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is pushing back after Bill Bratton, the former NYPD commissioner, blamed New York City Democrat leadership for the “mess” found on the city’s subways.
The two made their comments on Twitter.
Bratton on Wednesday tweeted a photo of people on a subway with their personal items scattered about. At least one of the people was seen stretched out horizontally on a subway bench seat with personal items on the floor. Another person was seen with a blanket over their head.
Bratton wrote: “You know why NY’s ‘recovery’ isn’t happening? This photo today on the E Train at 6:45am at 42nd & 8th says it all. Why should working people & tourists be subjected to this? How’s it fair to those who need services? Imagine the cops’ frustration with no support to deal with it.”
In another tweet, he added: “The new Mayor & Police Commissioner have their work cut out for them trying to fix this mess our political leadership & DAs have created by tying the hands of the NYPD. We fixed this 30 years ago when [incoming New York City Mayor] Eric Adams was a Transit cop. It’s going to be a lot more difficult in 2022.”
Ocasio-Cortez shot back on Twitter, writing: “Of course [police are] frustrated. It’s not policing’s job or purpose to address housing, provide healthcare or counseling, or solve the reasons people sleep on the subway. Maybe if we shifted some of that $11B/year spent on robo dogs to housing services we could get somewhere.”
In another tweet, she said: “It’s truly frustrating that Dems & GOP alike water this down into some non-evidence based electoral boogey monster. Nobody wants to live with these conditions, yet nobody wants to challenge the systems and decisions creating them. Don’t complain if you want more of the same $.”
She also tweeted that “homeless people often ARE working people, veterans, and/or disabled.”
Ocasio-Cortez added: “I truly will never adjust to how normal it is in our country to completely dehumanize people once they fall below a certain income. This is a fmr police commissioner talking about ppl like furniture or animals when his job ostensibly was to protect them too. Telling on himself.”
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.