Taxi Drivers Want Quicker Police Response To Crimes Against Cabbies
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The head of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers says their cars have security technology in place, so Fernando Mateo doesn't understand why the NYPD takes so long to release the images of perpetrators, such as the people responsible for a rash of crimes in the Bronx.
"Two weeks later we received the images. We were able to post the images. Within hours, one of those suspects surrendered and the other one was arrested the following day," Mateo said.
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"When the authorities have a tip that a terrorist is going to bomb or attack a building, they don't wait a week to put the images out. They do it immediately to get these people off the street. What we want you to know that these people that are robbing drivers at gunpoint are terrorists. They are terrorizing the industry and we need to get these people of the street," he added.
Mateo says he's working with City Council members to create legislation that would require the NYPD and the Taxi and Limousine Commission to act immediately when a driver is attacked.
"And it's very simple. If you have an iPad, you should be able to go into a cab, download the images immediately, and forward them to the local bases, so that they know who they should be looking out for. The faster you do this, the quicker you catch the perps, the faster it is to make an arrest," Mateo said.
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