New York began the fight against the homeless: 143 arrests and 1500 fines in a week

NYPD arrested 143 people on the city's subways and removed 455 people from trains and stations in the first week of cracking down on crime and the presence of homeless people in the transit system, reports NBC New York.

New York Mayor Eric Adams' office said the arrests and deductions occurred when officers obeyed subway rules that forbid smoking, drinking, sleeping in train seats, acting aggressively and driving without paying a fare. Police officers also issued 1553 fine due to rule violations.

Adams, a Democrat who took office earlier this year, announced an aggressive effort in February to make subways safer. He sent teams of officers to stations and trains, along with social workers, to send homeless people to shelters, food banks and other services.

On the subject: Adams vowed to remove all homeless shelters from NYC subways

City Hall said outreach groups connected 22 people to shelters in the first week.

The mayor has responded to a number of high-profile violent incidents on the subway, including a woman being pushed to her death in front of a train in January and several stabbings in recent weeks.

Last week the police arrested man, who approached a woman sitting on a bench inside the Bronx subway station and punched her in the face and smeared her with human feces.

Adams says the city has to fight crime, but also the perception that makes the city and the metro feel unsafe. He said that people sleeping or acting aggressive on trains create a general sense of turmoil.