Sebastian Zapeta, right, was arraigned in Brooklyn, New York, Jan. 7, on murder and arson charges after he allegedly set a woman on fire as she slept on a New York City subway train. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
"The trend of violent crime, homelessness, and other threats to public safety on one of our nation's most prominent metro systems is unacceptable," Duffy wrote in the letter. "After years of soft-on-crime policies, our Department is stepping in to restore order."
The letter requested a copy of MTA's data on fare evasion, worker assaults, customer assaults and police patrols, Fox News Digital previously reported.
NYPD INVESTIGATES AFTER HOMELESS MAN CATCHES FIRE IN MANHATTAN SUBWAY STATION
Members of the NYPD and National Guard conduct randomized bag searches in New York City’s subway system, March 11, 2024. Gov. Kathy Hochul deployed 750 members of the National Guard to combat a near 20% rise in crime levels throughout the subways. (Matthew McDermott for Fox News Digital)
It also requested an explanation of how MTA, which is given billions of dollars from the federal government, has used taxpayer funding to address safety and security concerns.
"Commuters are sick and tired of feeling like they have to jeopardize their safety to get to work, go to school, or to travel around the city," Duffy wrote in the letter. "We will continue to fight to ensure their federal tax dollars are going towards a crime-free commute."
The DOT, MTA and Hochul's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom and Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.
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